HEF8: Maintain designed or engineered waterbodies

What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.

This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.

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5 years

How much you바카라 사이트™ll be paidÌý

£2,512 per hectare (ha) per year 바카라 사이트“ you can only include the land area where you바카라 사이트™ll do this action (not the area of water)

You can calculate the hectarage by:

  • measuring the length of the buffer strip in metres (m)
  • multiplying that length by the relevant width (4m to 20m) to give the area in square metres (m2)
  • dividing that area by 10,000 to convert it into ha

Action바카라 사이트™s aimÌý

This action바카라 사이트™s aim is that there바카라 사이트™s a designed or engineered historic waterbody with:

  • an intact vegetated grass buffer strip around the water body and any associated features throughout the year
  • minimal bare ground and scrub
  • the majority of the water surface not permanently shaded
  • associated structural water control features maintained

The purpose of this is to:

  • protect the banks and associated historic built water control features of designed or engineered historic water bodies
  • maintain or strengthen the role of the water control features in water quality management
  • conserve the character of the waterbody
  • help to maintain and conserve landscape character

Where you can do this actionÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

You can do this action on land which contains an eligible designed or engineered water body and is:

An eligible designed or engineered water body for this action must have an artificially retained area of open standing water. There may be associated structural water control features, such as leats and culverts.

The following waterbodies are not eligible for this action:

  • field ponds dug to below the water table
  • water meadows (both bedwork and catch meadow systems)
  • water bodies that are covered by the
  • raised water bodies the Environment Agency has identified as high risk under the

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code
Temporary grassland Arable land TG01
Permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01
Woodland Woodland WO12

Eligibility of protected land

Protected land Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) Eligible 바카라 사이트“ you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트˜SSSI ³¦´Ç²Ô²õ±ð²Ô³Ù바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)
Historic and archaeological features Eligible 바카라 사이트“ you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트˜Land with historic or archaeological features바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)

Available area you can enter into this action

Part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static actionÌý

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

What to do

You must establish and maintain a permanently vegetated buffer strip that바카라 사이트™s:

  • at least 4m wide along its entire length and up to 20m wide (on average in each land parcel)
  • on the perimeter or bank around the water body and around any associated water control features

You must maintain the buffer strip in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim, including:

  • minimising bare ground and compaction
  • minimising scrub on the banks of the water body
  • making sure there바카라 사이트™s no more than a quarter of the water body permanently shaded by vegetation or tree growth
  • removing all cut material

To maintain the structural features associated with the water body, you must:

  • complete a visual assessment of the features to check their condition and identify any required maintenance works and minor repairs 바카라 사이트“ you must produce a structures maintenance record
  • carry out maintenance works and minor repairs on structural features associated with the water body on a 바카라 사이트˜like-for-like바카라 사이트™ basis
  • keep any non-traditional material that was previously used to repair or re-clad the features

You must not:

  • alter the depth, shape, profile and design of the built water body and associated engineering
  • erect new fences

You can maintain an existing vegetated buffer strip to get paid for this action if it:

  • meets this action바카라 사이트™s requirements
  • is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship (CS) option HS6 (maintenance of designed/engineered water bodies)

When to do itÌý

You must:

  • establish the buffer strip within 12 months of this action바카라 사이트™s start date
  • maintain the buffer strip throughout each subsequent year of this action바카라 사이트™s duration
  • complete the visual assessment of the structural features associated with the water body at least once during each year of this action바카라 사이트™s 5-year duration
  • carry out any necessary maintenance works and minor repairs within 12 months of identification, or by this action바카라 사이트™s end date if you identify the need for maintenance or repair during the final year of this action바카라 사이트™s duration

How to do itÌý

It바카라 사이트™s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

  • follow this action바카라 사이트™s requirements 바카라 사이트“ these are identified by a 바카라 사이트˜must바카라 사이트™
  • do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim

You may find it helpful to read the 바카라 사이트˜advice to help you do this action바카라 사이트™, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Evidence to keepÌý

You must keep the required structures maintenance record.

You must also keep evidence to show what you바카라 사이트™ve done to complete this action, such as:

  • field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
  • photographs or other documentation

If it바카라 사이트™s not clear that you바카라 사이트™ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence.

You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

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

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 they바카라 사이트™re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read 바카라 사이트˜What to do바카라 사이트™ and 바카라 사이트˜When to do it바카라 사이트™ to find out when this action must be done.

Scheme Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions OFC1, OFM1, AGF1, AGF2, PRF2, CMOR1 Ìý
SFI 2023 actions MOR1 Ìý
CS options WD2, OR1, OT1 Ìý
ES options No ES revenue options Ìý
SFI pilot standards No area-based SFI pilot standards Ìý

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6 바카라 사이트˜Eligible land in other funding schemes바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information for more details.

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

  • SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
  • SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
  • CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
  • the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard

Advice to help you do this actionÌý

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Carrying out maintenance works

To help you achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim, you can:

  • regularly inspect buffer strips to make sure no scrub is developing
  • inspect associated structural water control features to make sure they are working properly
  • clear vegetation from leats, sluices, hatches and dams, and repointing retaining walls

As water levels are lower and more of the structural features associated with the water body are visible, summer is usually the best time for you to:

  • completing the visual assessment of the features
  • carrying out maintenance works and minor repairs

Updates to this page

Published 21 May 2024
Last updated 5 August 2024 show all updates
  1. Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 바카라 사이트˜Eligible land types for SFI바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 바카라 사이트˜SSSI ³¦´Ç²Ô²õ±ð²Ô³Ù바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

  2. First published.