October 2023
Catchment updates
Water Companies publish their Business Plans
Wessex Water and Bristol Water have both published their draft business plans covering the period 2025-2030. The Plans are still subject to change following feedback from OFWAT with the final determination currently expected in December 2024. The Plans set out how each company will be improving services for customers and the environment.
To find out more about the Wessex Waters Business Plan please see their page here: Business plan 2025-2030 (wessexwater.co.uk)
To find out more about the Bristol Water Business plan please see their page here: Our Plan for Change 2025 – 30 (bristolwater.co.uk)
Bringing Eels back to the Cam & Wellow
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust are preparing for a project to help bring endangered eels back to the Cam & Wellow river catchments. Target species for the project include Brown Trout, European Eel, and River Lamprey, all of which are critically endangered. The project will include the removal of barriers that disturb the migration of riverine species, benefiting all fish as well as those that are endangered.
The project has been funded by Natural England as part of the Species Recovery Grant Scheme, which is seeing £14.5 million shared across 63 projects around the country all working towards protecting and enhancing endangered species.
Read more about the project here.
Surveying eel barrier. Photo Credit: Bristol Avon Rivers Trust.
Somer Valley Rediscovered launch new website
The Somer Valley Rediscovered Partnership has launched a new website. The website has information about current and previous projects within the programme of work, as well as further information about the Partnership, including the aims and vision. There is also a link to sign up to their monthly newsletter, which can be accessed here.
Visit their new website here.
Visit their new website here.
Communicate: Together for Nature
The Natural History Consortium is hosting their annual Communicate conference on 14th, 15th, and 16th November. 40 sessions will take place across Bristol, London, and Manchester, which will be online, hybrid, and live. Find out how you can attend here.
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Community spotlight – Colliter’s Brook
A group of local volunteers have produced a map to help people explore the Colliter’s Brook in Bristol, from its abundant plants and wildlife, to its stunning views and secret footpaths. The map outlines various public footpaths with around 6.5km to explore, where you might spot kingfishers, little egrets, and otters.
The delivery of this project was funded by the BACP’s Catchment Partnership Fund.
The map is available online here, where it can be viewed, downloaded, and printed.
The delivery of this project was funded by the BACP’s Catchment Partnership Fund.
The map is available online here, where it can be viewed, downloaded, and printed.
Dundry Slopes, the headwaters of Colliters Brook, overlooking Barrow Gurney Reservoir. Photo Credit: Colliters Brook Map Project Team
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A Better Biss Approach
The Biss Catchment sits in the south-east of the Bristol Avon Catchment, draining the land south of Trowbridge, out towards Westbury and to the very edge of the Salisbury Plain. Some of its tributaries include the Bitham Brook, Paxcroft Brook, and Lambrok Stream.
Set up in 2018, A Better Biss Approach (ABBA) is a 5-year Wiltshire Wildlife Trust project with two aims:
- Restore and enhance the River Biss and its tributaries to address their current poor condition, creating a space that’s great for wildlife and people to share.
- Increase engagement with the river among landowners, communities and businesses, leading to a legacy of protection for the river.
ABBA works towards achieving these aims through a range of restoration work, community engagement, and citizen science projects.
The BACP funded ABBA through the Catchment Partnership Fund at the beginning of the project in 2019, initially identifying the main issues within the Biss catchment and its overall health, as well as engagement with local communities. Research from this provided an outline for future projects and activities within the Biss catchment.
Some of the projects that have been carried out by ABBA can be found below.
The BACP funded ABBA through the Catchment Partnership Fund at the beginning of the project in 2019, initially identifying the main issues within the Biss catchment and its overall health, as well as engagement with local communities. Research from this provided an outline for future projects and activities within the Biss catchment.
Some of the projects that have been carried out by ABBA can be found below.
Volunteers after completing a river clean on the River Biss in the centre of Trowbridge. Photo Credit: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Biss Meadows Country Park – Summer 2022
A series of in-channel woody habitat features have been created in the River Biss as it runs through Biss Meadows Country Park. These will help to add flow diversity to the channel, capturing sediment, promoting marginal vegetation growth, and providing areas of refuge for fish and invertebrates. This has been done with the help of dedicated volunteers.
Southwick Country Park Wetland Creation – September 2022
Funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, a series of wetlands were created along the Lambrok Stream in Southwick Country Park Local Nature Reserve in Trowbridge. Three new wetland areas were created, which totalled around 1,500m2 of area improved. An erosion-resistant entry point was made to allow people and dogs to safely enter the river, as well as to prevent damage to the banks and further sediment issues in the river.
Friends of Southwick Country Park volunteers helping to construct the erosion resistant entry point. Photo credit: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
Great Crested Newt Ponds – January 2023
Great Crested Newts are a critically endangered species which have been in decline over the last century, so are protected under British and European law. A big reason why the species is so endangered is due to a loss of breeding ponds through destruction or degradation of water quality, so creating new and improved habitats for Great Crested Newts is vital for their survival.
The beginning of the ABBA project saw walkover surveys identify opportunities to create and restore ponds for Great Crested Newts across the catchment, and resulted in two ponds being created early 2023 at a private residence near Westbury.
ABBA is constantly looking out for more opportunities to create or restore Great Crested Newt habitats.
The beginning of the ABBA project saw walkover surveys identify opportunities to create and restore ponds for Great Crested Newts across the catchment, and resulted in two ponds being created early 2023 at a private residence near Westbury.
ABBA is constantly looking out for more opportunities to create or restore Great Crested Newt habitats.
Trowbridge Weir Assessment – Spring 2023
Weirs and other large obstructions in rivers can cause major problems to fish passage and can disturb other natural geomorphological processes. There are a series of weirs through the centre of Trowbridge, which ABBA was able assess for possible improvements in better favour of the river. Awarded with a Fisheries Improvement Programme grant to assess the weirs, a report was produced through a series of site visits and desk-based research, and provided an outline as to how the barriers could be improved and the water environment returned to a more natural, healthier state.
One of the weirs in Trowbridge at high flow. Photo Credit: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
We are looking forward to seeing the continuation of the ABBA project into the future, and what can further be done to better the health of the Biss catchment.
To find out more about A Better Biss Approach, visit WWT’s website here.
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National News
State of Nature Report
A study has brought together data from over 60 research and conservation organizations, as well as thousands of volunteers across the country to provide a status of our wildlife. The State of Nature report gives a greater insight into the decline of nature and species in our country, and will help us in our fight to halt nature’s deterioration, positively establishing that where wildlife conservation action has been implemented.
The report concludes that:
- Species studied have declined on average by 19% since 1970
- Nearly 1 in 6 species are threatened with extinction in Great Britain
- 151 of 10,008 species assessed have already become extinct since 1500
- In Northern Ireland, 12% of assessed species were at risk of extinction
Biodiversity Net Gain
The government has recently announced a delay in the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain until January 2024, and until April 2024 for small sites.
In short, Biodiversity Net Gain requires land management and development to leave the natural environment in a better state than it was beforehand, and make sure nature is not lost through development.
To read more about the recent updates to Biodiversity Net Gain please see the Government's Press release.
Dorset Salmon Report
This September, approximately 13,000 salmon have been captured, tagged, weighed, and then released back into the River Frome, Dorset, as part of a survey to help tackle a huge decline in the species. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust have been carrying out research for approximately 15 years with the aim to gain a greater insight into how many salmon are in the catchment and what can be done to reverse their decreasing numbers.
An Environment Agency report in 2022 revealed that salmon stocks were below sustainable levels in 74% of rivers in England Wales due to climate change, marine exploitation, river quality, and barriers to the fish. Salmon are classed as “at risk”.
The research has revealed key factors that negatively impact the species, such as high algae levels, and effects from growing more maize.
Read more about the survey here.
Parr tagging along the river Frome outside Dorchester. Photo Credit: Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Save our Chalk Streams
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has called on the government to introduce legal protections for chalk streams, one of the world’s rarest habitats. 80% of the 220 chalk streams around the world are located here in England. They support a diverse range of rare aquatic life and are vital to biodiversity, but unfortunately are under threat.
The Wildlife Trust has begun a new campaign, Save our Chalk Streams, which is calling for the government to institute new laws that tackle poor quality in chalk streams, hold polluters accountable, and repair the damage already done.
Read more about the campaign here.
