CHS6: Maintain designed or engineered waterbodies
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

£2,512 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that throughout the year, there’ll be a permanent grass buffer strip around a designed or engineered waterbody, and associated features such as leats and culverts will be maintained. Areas of bare ground, scrub and undesirable species must be managed appropriately.

The purpose of this is to:
- protect the banks and associated water control features of designed or engineered historic waterbodies
- maintain or strengthen water control features
- conserve the character of the waterbody
- help to maintain and conserve landscape character
Where you can do this action

You can do this action on:
- waterbodies with an artificially retained area of open standing water
- the banks of the waterbody and buffer strips around associated features (such as leats and culverts)
You cannot do this action on:
- areas of water – you can only include land
- field ponds dug to below the water table
- water meadows (bedwork and catch meadow systems)
- waterbodies that are covered by the Reservoirs Act 1975 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1975/23)
- raised waterbodies that are classed as high-risk by the Environment Agency under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/29/contents)
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, Forestry Commission woodland officer or Historic 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:
- retain the depth, shape, profile and design of the built water body and associated engineering
- manage an agreed percentage of scrub and species
- establish or maintain a permanently vegetated buffer strip at least 4m wide on the perimeter or bank of the main water body
- establish or maintain a permanently vegetated buffer strip at least 2m wide around features relating to the water body such as leats, dams and sluices outside the 4m buffer strip
- carry out maintenance works and minor repairs on structural historic or archaeological features on a like-for-like basis to retain the character of the feature in its local setting – for example if non-traditional materials were used to repair a structure, you must continue to use that material
- manage the buffer strips to control woody growth and make sure there’s no more than 5% bare ground
- manage vegetation so that no more than 25% of the water surface is in permanent shade
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) at least once a year to record any repair and maintenance work.

You must not put up any new fences.

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:
- structural maintenance plan
- field operations at a land parcel level
- associated invoices
- photographs
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
- obtain any necessary consents from the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) or Internal Drainage Board (IDB) before starting any work
You may need to:
- 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 listed building consent from your local authority to work on a listed structure as part of this action
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
- apply for a felling licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tree-felling-licence-when-you-need-to-apply) from the Forestry Commission to carry out some activities in this action
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.

Choosing a site

This action is to maintain existing designed or engineered waterbodies. It does not cover the:
- establishment or creation of designed or engineered waterbodies
- restoration of waterbodies or their associated features
- de-silting of waterbodies
Maintaining waterbodies

When managing waterbodies on your land:
- maintain grass buffer strips and make sure scrub does not develop
- limit the area of water surface that’s in permanent shade (no more than 25%)
- remove existing areas of scrub and undesirable plant species in the first few years of your agreement
- remove all cut material
- keep the character of the feature in its local setting
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 help avoid expensive restoration 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 using traditional materials and skills – this will help avoid decay or deterioration of the fabric
- regularly inspecting buffer strips to make sure scrub is not developing
- making sure the buffer strips are not on compacted soil so water can infiltrate
- inspecting the water body to make sure it’s clear
- inspecting associated structures (such as sluices, hatches, retaining walls) to make sure they’re working properly
- undertaking minor repairs such as clearing vegetation from leats, sluices, hatches and dams, as well as repointing retaining walls
Summer is usually the best time for inspections and minor repair works. Water levels are lower and more of the water structures are visible.