CHS7: Manage historic water meadows through traditional irrigation
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

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

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£863 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is to protect historic water meadows and landscape character by maintaining:
- ‘bedwork’ and ‘catch’ water meadows using traditional irrigation systems
- habitat and water quality
The purpose of this is to:
- keep historic water meadows in a stable condition
- maintain a working water meadow system with structurally sound water control features
- conserve the character of the farm and historic land use patterns
Where you can do this action

You can do this action on eligible land located below the moorland line that’s a traditional water meadow. This is where land is irrigated through a system of inlet and outlet channels.

You cannot use this action on meadows:
- that flood naturally and do not have control structures, such as sluices and hatches to regulate water levels
- where water cannot be controlled – water needs to flow evenly across the meadow at up to 25 millimetres (mm) in depth when drowned
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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-use-codes-rural-payments) 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 on the same location each year of the action’s duration.

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:
- float or drown the meadow for an agreed period of time each year
- manage an agreed percentage of scrub and species
- maintain the gutters, carriers or channels to encourage an even film of water approximately 25mm deep to flow over the sward
- maintain and repair the water control structures on a like for like basis, such as sluices, weirs and hatches, and keep a record of the work
- manage the meadow by grazing or hay cutting once the land has dried out
- only allow vehicular access on routes agreed with your Natural England adviser
The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to complete a structures maintenance record (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-hs6-and-hs7-structural-maintenance-plan-and-record-forms) on the water control structures and associated leats drains and gutters at least once a year to record any repair and maintenance work.

You must not:
- apply any fertilisers or manures
- 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
- use supplementary feed for grazing livestock, unless it’s during periods of extreme weather
- create new tracks for vehicular access
- harrow or roll
- work on the gutters, carriers or channels during late spring and summer
- plough, cultivate or re-seed
- remove, replace or relocate historic structures
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:
- a map showing existing tracks and routes
- photographs of the state of the water meadow and its structural, historic and archaeological features before works start and after the work is complete
- before and after photographs of all maintenance works and minor repairs
- stock grazing records
- receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
- consents or permissions connected with the work records of management activity on the action area for each parcel
- structural maintenance plan
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:
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest#get-consent-to-carry-out-operations-on-your-land)
- consent from the Environment Agency or other responsible bodies for works on hydrological structures
You may need to:
- get listed building consent from your local authority to work on a listed structure
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- get advice from your Historic England, Natural England adviser or local authority if you have other historic or archaeological features on your agreement land
- get Scheduled Monument Consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/smc/) from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All historic and archaeological 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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders#capital-grants-plans).

You can also apply for capital items (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders) 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.

Maintaining water meadows

Carry out the routine work needed to protect structures and features. This will help you identify and prevent the start of serious structural problems and avoid expensive repairs in the future.

Use the structural maintenance plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-hs6-and-hs7-structural-maintenance-plan-and-record-forms) provided to record this work.

Typical maintenance work can include:
- carrying out repairs to sluices using traditional materials and skills – this will help avoid decay or deterioration of the fabric
- clearing and re-profiling gutters, carriers and channels
A map or an aerial view of water meadow system (showing the layout of channels, earthworks, water control structures) will:
- show how the system works
- help you complete the structural maintenance plan