Over the past five-year period (2020 – 2025), we have been working with landowners across seven strategically important drinking water supply river catchments in the Westcountry: the Dart, Exe, Fowey, Otter, Roadford, Tamar and Tavy catchments. Along with our other partners – South West Water, Devon Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, SW Lakes Trust and FWAG South West, we have worked with landowners and farmers to improve water quality and reduce and mitigate some of the pressures on our rivers.
We achieved this by:
• Working with farmers to manage productive farmland to reduce negative impacts on water quality.
• Maintaining, restoring, creating and connecting semi-natural habitats.
• Demonstrating the use of Nature Based Solutions to tackle water quality and water retention issues.
• Improving farmyard and infield infrastructure to reduce negative impacts on water quality.
Free trees Advice on tree / hedgerow management, Assistance with EWCO applications Support and advice on Agrienvironmental scheme applications
Workshops , Events, visits to Water Treatment Works
Confidential and independent farm advice & farm plans
Pesticide Amnesties & Integrated Pest Management
Capital Grants
Revenue Grants and Trials
Prioritising where to work
One to one visits Curiosity Listening
Group learning Demonstrations
Interpretation of results
Risk assessment
Field selection Mitigation
Grant funding
Trials
Working with farmers to manage productive farmland to reduce negative impacts on water quality
Soil sampling, Soil and Nutrient Management:
• 2,300 fields soil tested
• Created and talked through 247 Nutrient Management Plans with landowners .
Trials: Herbal Ley Project
• There are now 15,995 hectares with formal agreements in place to reduce pollutant inputs.
Maize Under Sowing Soil Mineral Nitrogen Testing
Maintaining, restoring, creating and connecting semi-natural habitats.
Hedgerows
Riverbank stabilisation and erosion prevention
Pond creation / restoration
Tree planting: Small areas of woodland Fencing off the Riparian corridor and re- wetting
Leaky & brash dams: slowing the flow
Nature Based Solutions to tackle water quality and flooding
PROBLEM:
The common land has seriously compacted soil which is exacerbating the surface runoff from the area.
Surface water generated is channelled down a public rights of way, flooding properties.
SOLUTIONS:
1. Reinstatement of 500 meters of stone track to significantly reduce soil compaction currently caused by vehicles crossing the common to access nearby properties.
2. Soil aeration across the common to improve water infiltration by relieving compaction. Funded through Rapid Response Catchment project.
3. Repair and fence off a stone-faced bank and replant 75m of hedgerow. This will enhance habitat and help reduce surface runoff by creating a cross-contour barrier.
4. Rapid Response Catchment Natural Flood Management project funded a cross-track drain to divert runoff from a public footpath into nearby fields. The varied vegetation slows the water, promoting soil infiltration. A wetland and pond at the bottom of the field helps to slow the flow and retain water within the catchment.
Farmyard and in-field infrastructure to reduce negative impacts on water quality.
Title
• Farm Yard Manure stores often in conjunction with CS capital grant
• Yard improvements to separate clean and dirty water
• Above compliance slurry stores
• Rainwater goods and storage
• Track improvements
• Riparian fencing
• Bridges (de-culverting)
“On average for every £1 of grant funding £1.3 of match funding was invested by the landowner, more than doubling the investment in these catchments"
Upstream Thinking: Delivery 2020 to 2025
• 580 farmers visited and received confidential advice
• 2,300 soil samples
• 44 pesticide amnesties (just over 3 tonnes removed)
