Water Level management Plans
(WLMPs)
The initial concept of Water Level
Management Plans (WLMPs) was first suggested by MAFF et.
al. (1991) in a publication entitled Conservation Guidance
for Drainage Authorities which stated that WLMPs should be
produced for areas where water levels are managed and that priority
should be given to Sites of Special Scientific Interest, in
particular those which incorporated internationally important
sites..
This concept was reinforced in 1994 and 1999
with the publication of Water Level Management Plans - A
Procedural Guide for Operating Authorities (MAFF et.
al.1994) and Additional Guidance Notes for Operating
Authorities (MAFF1999a). As a result of these policy
drivers, grant aid to implement water level management plans was
made available to Internal Drainage Boards.
In 1999, MAFF also published High Level
Targets for flood defence operating authorities which specifically
tasked IDBs to produce Water Level Management Plans for national
and internationally important wetland sites (MAFF 1999b).
These targets were revised in 2001 requiring the operating
authorities to have in place a detailed programme for implementing
and reviewing WLMPS for SSSIs, European and Ramsar Sites (MAFF
2001a; 2001b).
In 2004 further guidance was issued by Defra
relating to sites designated under the Habitats Directive
emphasising that the Directive and the Conservation (Habitats
&c.) Regulations 1994 imposed a general duty on Internal
Drainage Boards, as Operating Authorities, to take appropriate
steps to avoid deterioration of European sites and consider this
when reviewing WLMPs or maintaining their existing operations to
ensure that these actions are compliant with the above legislation
(Defra 2004).
References
Defra. (2002) Autumn Performance Report
2002. Norwich: HMSO.
Defra (2004) Guidance on Water Level
Management Plans for European Sites. London: HMSO.
Department of the Environment, Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Welsh Office (1991) Conservation
Guidelines for Drainage Authorities 2nd Edition. HMSO.
EN (English Nature) (2003) England's best
wildlife and geological sites The condition of Sites of Special
Scientific Interest in England in 2003. Peterborough: English
Nature.
MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food), The Welsh Office, Association of Drainage Authorities,
English Nature, National Rivers Authority (1994) Water Level
Management Plans A procedural guide for operating authorities.
HMSO.
MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food (1999a) Water Level Management Plans Additional Guidance Notes
for Operating Authorities. HMSO.
MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food) (1999b) High level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence and
Elaboration of the Environment Agency's Flood Defence Supervisory
Duty. HMSO.
MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food) (2001a) High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence.
HMSO.
MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food) (2001b) Guidance on preparing Plans for Review and
Implementation of Water level Management Plans. HMSO.
