West Cumbria Rivers Trust Presentation – March 2014 To Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster John Wilson © Images kindly provided by Val Corbett – copyright remains with the artist www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett “We think that if you care about or love the Lake District, then quite simply you have to care about and love its water.” www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Who are We? Our Projects •Environmental •Love Derwent Charity •Love Ellen •Established for 3 years •The Wild Rivers •Experienced •Catchment Leads Board of Directors: for Environment Legal Agency Nuclear Water Environmental Tourism •Five full-time employees – All experienced Project Officers www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent- River Restoration Invasives Control Loweswater Care and others. www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent Bassenthwaite – home to Vendace “High Quality Water is more than the dream of the conservationists, more than a political slogan: high quality water, in the right quantity at the right place at the right time, it is essential to health, recreation and economic growth.” Edmund S. Muskie www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent – Tourism in Allerdale and Copeland worth £500 million per annum and employs 8,000 people. Buttermere Home of Arctic Char www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent Crummock Home to Ferox Trout and Arctic Char www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent Derwent, Grange in Borrowdale www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent Derwentwater Last home of the Vendace © Val Corbett www.westcumbriariverstrust.org Love Derwent Derwentwater – home to the Vendace www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent Derwentwater Queen of the English Lakes www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent River Derwent at Isel Special Area of Conservation: Atlantic Salmon, Otters, March Fritillary Butterflies, Multiple SSSIs. www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Loweswater Love Derwent - Loweswater Care Programme – Community Led www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent – Loweswater Care Programme – Multiple partners Loweswater and innovation project. www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Derwent – Loweswater Care Programme – Making a difference Loweswater, In the valley of three lakes www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Love Ellen – Principal Partner United Utilities Where Ellen meets the sea. We will be improving the water quality in the Ellen catchment together with Partners. Maryport www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett The Wild Rivers – England’s Wildest: Ehen/Ennerdale Ravenglass Irt/Wasdale Calder/Bleng Esk Mite Duddon Three rivers meet; Esk, Irt and Mite www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett The Wild Rivers – England's Wildest River Bleng The Atlantic Salmon – “He comes in from the dark sway of the sea; from lonely reefs and wrecked ships hairy with weed. A wanderer of the ocean; returning to spawn in the river of his birth.” Hugh Falkus, Eskdale www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett The Wild Rivers - Wasdale Great Gable, Sca Fell and Kirk Fell Wastwater supplies water of unique quality to Sellafield. Also home of Arctic Char and rock climbing! www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Wild Rivers – England’s Wildest Wastwater. England’s deepest lake. West Cumbria, post industrial wasteland www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett The Wild Rivers – Pearls in Peril – Special Area of conservation: Wild Atlantic Salmon Fresh Water Pearl Mussels Ennerdale www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett The Wild Rivers – Pearls in Peril Ennerdale “Our projects will, we hope, make a significant contribution to the environment but also to the local economy.” Tourism is worth £2.2 Billion per annum to Cumbria and employs 57,000 people. www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Flooding Alleviation Floods near Keswick “We think that a combination of some de-drainage, re-establishment of wetlands and flood plain land (with appropriate compensation payments to farmers) and tree planting could significantly reduce flooding risk in our catchments …. ” www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett Floods near Keswick …. as well as being environmentally enhancing and encouraging bio-diversity” www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett How can you help? •Individual/Friend £3 per month •Corporate Friend £50 to £250 per annum •Project Partner In addition to Project £1,000 (minimum) per Officers and scientists we annum also hope to appoint an Education Officer as well to •Principal Project Partner work in West Cumbria’s £10,000 (minimum) per schools. annum Help us make a difference. www.westcumbriariverstrust.org © Val Corbett .