RP3: Watercourse crossings
Find out about eligibility and requirements for the watercourse crossings item.
How much will be paid
£105.63 per crossing.
Where to use this item
Available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants.
Only in areas targeted to reduce water pollution from agriculture
Where this item cannot be used
- where there are environmental, archaeological or historic features identified on the Farm Environment Record (FER), the Environmental Information Map or the HEFER
- without relevant advice or consents from the Environment Agency or Local Planning Authority
How this item will benefit the environment
Providing a watercourse crossing for livestock and machinery will reduce the disturbance to the watercourse, which will help reduce sedimentation.
Requirements
- construct a ford at least 4m wide
- include a semi-circular, straight or oblique group of toe stones keyed into the riverbed on the downstream edge to form a gravel trap
- key the stones down to at least 600mm below the existing level of the bed or below the known scour level (whichever is deeper)
- make sure the stones do not stand clear of the water during low summer flows and that they do not form a weir
- make sure the approach slope gradient is no steeper than 1 in 4
- make sure that livestock cannot access the sides of the ford approaches
- include rock revetment to protect the ford approaches on the river side
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protect the base of the entrance and the exit ramp, (to avoid bankside erosion) with one of the following:
- rock armouring using cobble-sized rocks to create as flat a surface as possible and filling any gaps with coarse gravel or hardcore
- coarse gravel or hardcore:
- with treated retaining boards (50mm by 230mm) along the ramp (parallel to the river flow) and spaced 1m apart
- hold the boards in position with treated posts (100mm by 100mm) that are 1m apart
- drive the posts into the bank and trim them at an angle of 1 in 4 (parallel to the slope)
- drive the posts at least 50mm below the line of the boards to avoid tripping
- compact the bed of the ramp to provide a stable footing for livestock
- all capital works carried out must meet the relevant British Standards - examine copies of the most up-to-date standards for guidance
Keeping records
Agreement holders will need to keep the following records and supply them on request:
- any consents or permissions connected with the work
- receipted invoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
- photographs of site before works start
Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.
Agreement holders will need to keep the following records and supply them with the claim:
- photographs of the site during the different stages of construction or contracts, invoices or other documents confirming the technical specification for the completed works
- photographs of the completed works in place and installed
Applicants must obtain Flood Defence Consent on a main river and contact the local planning authority about the plans before applying for this item. A copy of any advice or consent received from the EA or the local planning authority should provided with the claim.
Related Mid Tier and Capital Grants items
This item can be used on the same area as the FG15 - Water gates item.
Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item
The following section gives advice on carrying out this item successfully but does not form part of the requirements for this item.
How to choose a location
It is generally best to build watercourse crossing points at existing stock crossing locations, as the banks are usually less steep.
Agreement holders should choose a site that needs the minimum amount of excavation work. This will produce less spoil, cause less disruption and reduce the amount of sediment entering the watercourse.
The crossing should not be constructed on a watercourse bend, as this can lead to silt deposition on the inside of the bend and erosion on the outside.
Biodiversity
This item has been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holding’s situation and potential.
The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.
Further information
Further information about watercourse crossings is available from the Rivers Trust.
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) operates in parts of the country where there are water quality issues linked to farming. The scheme provides farmers with free advice and training. See guidance for further information on CSF support.
Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply.
Last updated 9 February 2021 + show all updates
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Added in links to Capital Grants manual as this option is now available for Capital Grants
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Information updated for applications in 2016
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First published.