CSW15: Flood mitigation on arable reversion to grassland

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£740 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is to:

• store water from streams and rivers during flood events
• allow floodwater to spread across a floodplain and naturally subside

The purpose is to:

• provide space to allow a river and floodplain to reconnect
• reduce flooding downstream

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on eligible land in the floodplain, where you’re connecting the river to the floodplain.

This can include:

• ditches, dykes, drains and streams that are less than 4 metres (m) wide for most of their length in the parcel
• natural unsurfaced roads, tracks, paths and bridleways, as long as you can still meet the requirements of this action

You cannot do this action:

• outside the floodplain
• above the moorland line
• on land where you intend to store or spread fertilisers, manure or slurries

Eligible land

You can do this action on land that’s:

• an eligible land type
• registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
• declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover

Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.

Where not to use this action

You must not use this action:

• on land where you intend to store or spread fertilisers, manure or slurries

• in areas where contaminated runoff will infiltrate into the underlying groundwater – a risk assessment might be needed

What to do

Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action, you must:

• establish or maintain a dense grassy area during the first year of your agreement
• allow floodwater and surface runoff to flood and naturally subside over the parcel
• remove non-biodegradable flood debris
• remove soil compaction before starting work

The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to:

• plant a specified seed mix
• remove or modify artificial drainage

You must not:

• apply manure or fertiliser unless agreed as part of your agreement
• fill in hollows and wet features in the field
• store materials in the action area
• apply pesticides – you may be able to use herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe for the control of injurious weeds, invasive non-native plant species, nettles or other plants if this has been agreed with your Natural England adviser

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence.

You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:

• field operations at a parcel level
• associated invoices
• photographs relevant to the action

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

• CSHT actions: CWT3, CHRW4
• SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2, WBD10
• SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
• CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)

Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:

• to agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
• Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
• consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
• to obtain any necessary consents from the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) or Internal Drainage Board (IDB) before starting any work

You may also need to get:

• advice from your Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
• a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat

All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding.

You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

Choosing a site

Use this action where you can create additional floodplain storage by removing a barrier to out-of-bank river flows. This may be where there is:

• a natural breach of an existing flood embankment that the risk management authority decides not to repair

• a planned breach of a structure which is no longer needed

• a river restoration project

Planning

You may need new routes or bridges to access and maintain the site. It is important that these do not affect future river movement or temporary flooding.

Identify escape routes and refuge areas for people or livestock to use during floods.

You might need to work with neighbouring farms to manage land and make sure you can access it.

Establishing the site

The grass species you use will depend on the soil type, management regime and expected duration and depth of flooding of your site.

If you need to establish a dense sward of grass on all or part of the field, use a seed mix with at least 5 species of grasses. including no more than 60% perennial ryegrass with a mix of:

• rough bluegrass

• creeping bent grass

• meadow foxtail

• red fescue

• crested dogstail

• tall fescue

In the first 12 to 24 months, control weeds and cut as needed to encourage grass to establish. Avoid cutting when the soil is wet, to prevent compaction. Remove any cuttings to avoid damage to the sward.

Managing the site

Avoid stocking animals or driving vehicles on the area when this may cause rutting, poaching or compaction.

Avoid supplementary feeding, except with mineral blocks as this:

• can affect nutrient levels

• suggests there are too many livestock on the site

Veterinary medicines such as ivermectin wormers, and livestock insecticides (especially pyrethroids) can have a negative impact on both land and freshwater ecosystems. If you’re a livestock farmer, work with your vet to see if you can agree a way to reduce the impact without affecting the animal’s welfare.

Responding to climate change

Read Natural England’s publication: ‘Adaptation for habitats in Environmental Land Management Schemes’ to help you consider your general response to climate change. You must continue to follow the mandatory activities for this HT action. [CSHT]: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier  [ha]: hectare  [RPA]: Rural Payments Agency  [SFI]: Sustainable Farming Incentive  [CS]: Countryside Stewardship  [ES]: Environmental Stewardship  [SSSI]: Site of Special Scientific Interest  [LLFA]: Lead Local Flood Authority  [IDB]: Internal Drainage Board  [HEFER]: Historic Environment Farm Environment Record