Life in UK Rivers is a demonstration project, led by English Nature in a partnership with the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research.

As part of the Natura 2000 network of protected sites, the project deals with the conservation of rivers identified as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and of relevant habitats and species listed in annexes I and II of the European Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (92/43/EEC).

The project covers the following major areas of work:

	Publishing documents on the ecological requirements of 13 species and one river habitat listed in the Habitats Directive
	Developing and publishing standardised protocols for monitoring the conservation status of SAC rivers
	Developing techniques to address key issues affecting SAC rivers
	Preparing SAC river conservation strategies

Habitat and species covered

The project covers the following river habitat and species found in the UK:

	Habitat 3260: Watercourses of plain to montane levels with Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation.
	Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)
	Allis and twaite shad (Alosa alosa and A. fallax)
	Desmoulin's whorl snail (Vertigo moulinsiana)
	Bullhead (Cottus gobio)
	River, brook and sea lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis, L. planeri and Petromyzon marinus)
	Southern damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale)
	Freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera)
	White-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes)
	Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
	Floating water-plantain (Luronium natans)

Publications

The project has produced a set of publications on ecological requirements and assessment techniques for these habitats and species. Each report has been compiled by ecologists who are studying these species and habitats in the UK. They have been subject to peer review, including scrutiny by a Technical Advisory Group established by the partners in the project, and by experts and practitioners participating in project workshops. The assessment techniques have been tested in field situations.

The questions these reports try to answer include:

	What sort of water quality does the species need to survive and reproduce successfully?
	Are there substrates or other physical conditions that favour these species or cause them to decline?
	What is the extent of interdependence with other species for food or breeding success?

The reports are part of a demonstration project and have no official status in the implementation of the Habitats Directive. They are intended as a helpful source of information for anyone trying to set conservation objectives and to monitor for ‘favourable conservation status’ for these habitats and species. They can also be used to help review and assess plans and projects affecting Natura 2000 sites, as required by Article 6.3 of the Directive.

Another output of the project is a series of conservation strategies for seven different SAC rivers in the UK. In these, you can see how the statutory conservation and environment agencies have developed objectives for the conservation of the habitats and species and drawn up action plans with their local partners for achieving ‘favourable conservation status’. These strategies have been developed to demonstrate the connection between between ecological knowledge and the management action needed to protect wild fauna and flora. A handbook draws together the best practice from the seven strategies and sets out a model approach.

Understanding the ecological requirements of river plants and animals is a prerequisite for setting conservation objectives and for drawing up management plans (conservation strategies) for SAC rivers under Article 6.1 of the Habitats Directive.

Favourable condition

For each of the 13 riverine species and for the Ranunculus habitat, the UK conservation agencies are drawing up Common Standards setting out what can be considered as ‘favourable condition’ for attributes, such as water quality and nutrient levels; flow conditions; river channel and riparian habitat; substrate conditions; access (e.g. for migratory fish); and level of disturbance. Where available, these are included in the project publications. ‘Favourable condition’ is taken to be the status required of Annex I habitats and Annex II species on each Natura 2000 site to contribute adequately to ‘favourable conservation status’ across their natural range.