East Devon Catchment Partnership Conference Communities Catchment Peter Burgess www.devonwildlifetrust.org Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment 750 km2 7% developed (16% nationally) Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment 66% designated for its special landscape qualities 4 Special Areas of Conservation 2 Special Protection Areas 29 SSSI’s 50% of farms are sheep, beef and dairy enterprises 10% Cereals Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Working with Natural Processes Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment www.devonwildlifetrust.org Some Highlights………. Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment • Led the East Devon Diffuse Pollution Project • Supported the development of the Culm Community Crayfish Project • Project managed the production of the Soils and Natural Flood Management publication • Connecting the Culm Interreg bid support • Conduit for Defra funding – multiple small scale projects have been funded • Secured funding for the Ottery St Mary Natural Flood Management Project Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Catchment Conference Upstream Thinking: SWW’s Catchment Management Programme Dr David Smith, Upstream Thinking and Biodiversity Team leader (SWW) © Pennon Group plc 2018 Upstream Thinking: AMP5/6 Catchment Communities Catchment Conference Flagship environmental project £9m (2010-15) £10m (2015-20) Partnership delivery 2 strands of work: - moorland restoration - agricultural improvements Focus on water quality Improving natural water quality and water storage in the landscape © Pennon Group plc 2018 Issues Catchment Communities Catchment Conference 3 © Pennon Group plc 2018 UST2 catchments Catchment Communities Catchment Conference Barnstaple Yeo River Exe Fernworthy Reservoir Otter Valley Cofton Cross River (groundwater) Tamar River River River Dart Drift Fowey Reservoir Cober Argal & College Reservoirs 4 © Pennon Group plc 2016 Upstream Thinking: Who and where? Catchment Communities Catchment Conference 1. River Exe- Exmoor Mires, ENPA, DWT/WRT 2. River Dart – WRT and DWT 3. River Tamar – WRT and DWT Catchment interventions: 4. River Fowey – WRT 5. Cofton Cross and Otter- WRT/DWT •Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) 6. Fernworthy - DWT •Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) 7. Barnstaple Yeo - DWT •Westcountry River Trust (WRT) 8. Argal & College - CWT •Exmoor Mires Partnership (EMP) 9. River Cober – CWT •Exmoor National Park (ENPA) 10. Drift -CWT Scientific monitoring: •University of Exeter (Mires) •Project partners (within catchments) •SWW (WTWs impact) Upstream Thinking: on the farm Catchment Communities Catchment Conference Direct DOC/nutrient source Simple investment © Pennon Group plc 2018 Upstream Thinking: on the farm Catchment Communities Catchment Conference Potential DOC/pollution source Complex Capital investment © Pennon Group plc 2018 Upstream Thinking: Natural Capital outcomes Communities Catchment Conference •For example Culm grassland and valley mire restoration and management •water quality and flow benefits 8 © Pennon Group plc 2018 Upstream Thinking: on the moors Catchment Communities Catchment Conference 9 © Pennon Group plc 2018 Multiple output schemes Catchment management for slow clean raw water supplies Communities Catchment Conference can also be targeted to deliver these additional outcomes: • flood risk reduction, • reduction of catchment flow sources in to urban areas • reduction of CSO discharge risks • catchment nutrient loading reduction • reduced nutrient and sediment loading into bathing waters • carbon storage • catchment base flows New areas and catchments for this approach in 2020 business plan: Roadford, Stitians , Wistlandpound , Burrator, Park and Stannon, River Axe 10 CONFIDENTIAL: © Pennon Group plc 2017 UST3: Where for AMP7? •New WINEP schemes Communities Catchment Conference Wistlandpound •New WINEP investigations Reservoir •Ongoing current schemes Roadford Park & Stannon Lake Meldon Reservoir Colliford Lower Lake River Tavy Axe CSMG Stithians Reservoir Burrator Reservoir Avon Dam Reservoir 11 © Pennon Group plc 2018 Stantyway Farm, Clinton Devon Conference Communities Catchment Estates Sam Walker Farm facts Conference Communities Catchment • 265 acres mainly arable • Organic • Easternmost breeding site of cirl buntings in UK with higher tier stewardship scheme • Ring fenced • Loamy stony soils over sandstone with excellent potential to grow most crops Soils of Stantyway Farm Conference Communities Catchment Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment Flood risk management priority area Catchment Communities Conference Mineral content Conference Communities Catchment Air and water – soil pores Conference Communities Catchment 4.4 tonnes per square metre Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment 2.4 tonnes per square metre Conference Communities Catchment 8 tonnes per square metre – if tyre pressures reduced in field Conference Communities Catchment Catchment Communities Conference Organic matter Conference Communities Catchment • Soil at the farm is commonly known to go very hard, organic matter is relatively low • Aiming to vary the depths at which roots are working and the nutrients they consume with a broader crop rotation • Once the OM improves, the soil will host more fauna, particularly worms, and pore space, structure and water retention will improve massively. Fungi and bacteria will increase and further improve the cycle Best means of building soil OM in this situation Conference Communities Catchment Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference Catchment Communities Conference And once I’ve built up the OM... Conference Communities Catchment Catchment Communities Conference CULM COMMUNITY PROJECT Education Programme White-clawed Crayfish Catchment Communities Conference River Culm Education Programme Catchment Communities Conference Aims • Engage children with the wildlife of their local river. • Highlight the plight of the white clawed crayfish and the importance of biosecurity. • Encourage the children to attend other project events. • Encourage teachers to use the natural environment as a teaching resource. What was the plan? Catchment Communities Conference Develop Recruit Site visits content schools Risk Volunteers assessments School assemblies Interactive school workshops Outdoor learning river sessions Were we successful? Catchment Communities Conference Engaged with over 1700 children and 45 teachers Involved 8 schools and a home education group Delivered school assemblies Ran interactive in school workshops Organised hands-on outdoor learning sessions at the River Culm, Coldharbour Mill What did we learn? Catchment Communities Conference Volunteers essential Work collaboratively - Coldharbour Mill Be flexible to the needs of the schools Make it accessible to all children On going evaluation Feedback Catchment Communities Conference Excellent! Interactive, informative and engaging. Thank you! Willand School, teacher This has been a fabulous day for the children to engage in genuine scientific studies. They loved it! Thank you so much for a such a wonderful experience and opportunity. We really appreciate it. Willand School, Headteacher Woods for Water Roland Stonex Conference Communities Catchment Farm Conservation and Woodland Adviser Introduction • To stimulate woodland planting and management that will benefit water bodies experiencing elevated phosphate and sediment levels and where communities are impacted by flooding • Provides targeted visits and bespoke advice based on opportunity maps from Forest Research and Environment Agency • Supported by grants Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment Project areas Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment Catchment Communities Conference Woodland creation • Trees as buffers to reduce pollutants entering watercourses • Tree roots help to bind soil, reducing erosion and sediment delivery • Tree roots aid water infiltration into the soil, thereby helping to reduce downstream flooding Conference Communities Catchment Woodland creation Priority areas Grant aid 1. Wider catchment - Woodland Trust 2. Riparian (capital only) 3. Floodplain - Countryside Stewardship (capital + revenue) Min block size 0.1ha Min width 10m Min scheme size 0.5ha Conference Communities Catchment Wood4Water Catchment Communities Conference Sustainable Drainage Systems • To maintain water quality • To ‘slow the flow’ using natural processes 50% grant aid available Conference Communities Catchment in selected target areas Species Recovery - Beavers Mark Elliott Conference Communities Catchment Devon Beaver Project Lead @elyethefish East Devon Catchment Communities Conference 19th October 2018 Additional photos by David Plummer, Sylvia Meller, Mike Symes, Alastair Rogers, Francisco Teles, Nick Upton and David White www.devonwildlifetrust.org Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber) •Large animals – Around 1m long and 18kg Catchment Communities Conference Communities Catchment •Native to Britain - hunted to extinction about 400