September 2023
Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership Fund - opened for applications - 14th September 2023
The Fund is to support projects that improve the water environment around the Bristol Avon catchment. It can fund work such as, walkover surveys, data collection, habitat improvements or community engagement and project development. Bids to the Fund have the most chance of being successful if they deliver on one or more of the BACP aims. These are:
- Enhance people’s enjoyment and connection with the water environment
- Improve water quality
- Restore biodiversity and ecological connectivity
- Adapt and build resilience to a changing climate
Further details on our four aims can be found in the BACP Catchment Plan.
Both the Main Grants Scheme and Community Grants Scheme will be open. There is approximately £4,000 ring-fenced for Community projects, and £6,500 for the Main Grants Scheme.
The Fund will close at 23:59 on 12th October 2023. We will endeavour to provide applicants with an outcome for their applications by the end of November 2023.
The current funding criteria and guidance can be found on the BACP website; please go to the Catchment Partnership Fund and how to apply webpages for more information. Please read these documents thoroughly before submitting your application. We are especially keen to support applications that demonstrate engagement and support with underrepresented groups in the environmental sector.
If you have a project you would like to discuss before submitting your application, or if you have any questions about the Fund, please contact info@bristolavoncatchment.co.uk and Jack Bishop (Catchment Partnership Officer) can arrange a time to talk with you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACP Spotlight – Electrofishing in the Cam Brook
Article by Jude Norman, Environmental Administration Apprentice
In August, I took part in an electrofishing survey with the Wessex Water Environmental Investigations Team on the Cam Brook, near Paulton. An important remit of the Water Companies is to carry out comprehensive monitoring to learn more about the potential impacts of water services on the local environment. Wessex Water surveys various rivers around the catchment to better understand the ecological health of the rivers, including the fish and other species that call our rivers home.
Electrofishing is a survey technique that involves the application of an electric field into water via a submerged cathode and anode. Fish are attracted towards the anode where they can be easily netted. Once the team have checked the area for fish, the fish are then counted, measured, and species are recorded before being released back into the river.
We sampled at three locations, working our way along the river, and caught a variety of fish, such as minnows, lampreys, bullheads, and various sizes of trout.
Many of our partners collect data on fish around the catchment, including the Environment Agency, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Much of this data can be found in BART Bristol Avon Fish Explorer and is vital for knowing where is best to target actions for fish, as well as to monitor the success of the interventions delivered, as outlined in The Bristol Avon Fish Recovery Strategy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
News from around the catchment
Bristol Avon RiverBlitz 2023
During July, the Bristol Avon River Trust organised the annual Bristol Avon RiverBlitz which is a citizen science project, part funded through the Catchment Partnership Fund. The RiverBlitz data provide a high-level snapshot of nutrient levels throughout the catchment on a yearly basis and help to pinpoint areas where work could be focused to improve water quality.
With 193 volunteers involved, and 293 samples collected across the catchment – RiverBlitz’s biggest number to date – we now have a further insight into the health of the catchment building on the previous seven years of data collected through the project.
This year, 89% of samples suggested high concentrations of nutrients (either nitrate, phosphate or both) in the sampled rivers, with only one sample showing a low concentration. The sampling period this year began during a rainfall event, following an extended dry period. This scenario could explain the higher than usual nutrient concentrations.
Read the full report and explore the data here on the BART website.
Welcoming Michael Thompson to BART!
We would like to welcome Michael Thompson, Bristol Avon River Trust’s new Senior Project Manager, to the Bristol Avon catchment. Michael brings 15 years of experience from the Environment Agency. Michael previously managed many infrastructure delivery and community participation projects, and statutory water company business planning processes.
Michael has also led teams that have secured significant funding for wildlife conservation and water development, both nationally and internationally, being involved with projects on the Humber, the Severn, and in the Lake District. He has also spent a number of years working on water-related issues in eastern and southern Africa.
Read more about Michael’s background and what he will be bringing to BART on their website here.
Latest Water Framework Directive Classifications Released
The Environment Agency has partially updated the Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2022 classifications for ecological status on their Catchment Data Explorer. WFD classifications provide an indication of river health in the catchment, a full update is expected in 2025.
The percentage of sub-catchments within the Bristol Avon classified as High, Good, Moderate, Poor or Bad for ecological status for 2022 are as follows:
High: 0% (no change since 2019)
Good: 14.15% (+1.89% since 2019)
Moderate: 61.32% (-5.66% since 2019)
Poor: 21.70% (+0.94% since 2019)
Bad: 0.94% (+0.94% since 2019)
Classified in 2019 but not in 2022: 1.89%
We are aware many of our partners collect data more frequently at higher resolutions and will have a more in depth understanding of river health within certain sub-catchments.
The updated classification data can be found on the Environment Agency’s Catchment Data Explorer website.
University of Bristol BSc Research Projects
Do you or your organisation have a research question that you’d like answered or a project that you would like to develop in partnership with a group of University of Bristol undergraduate students enrolled on their Physical Geography degree programme?
The University of Bristol School of Geography is offering the opportunity to work with final year under graduate students on analytical projects which include investigating changes in the physical properties of soil, carrying out land surveys or conducting water and soil quality analysis in and around Bristol. For a full information sheet please contact info@bristolavoncatchment.co.uk.
An online application form must be completed by Tuesday 24th October (link in information sheet) For further information please do not hesitate to contact Hannah Tweddell (engaged-learning@bristol.ac.uk), or Ros Death (ros.death@bristol.ac.uk).
Hinkley C Discharge Permit Variation
Earlier this year NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited applied to the Environment Agency (EA) to change its operational Water Discharge Activity (WDA) permit. The application asked the Environment Agency to make these changes to the permit:
- Remove all references to the acoustic fish deterrent (AFD)
- Remove all references to the effects of abstracting cooling water because the Environment Agency does not regulate this from the open sea
- Add the discharge of seawater and biomass from the fish recovery and return system
This variation has now been granted following a consultation period in which the BACP responded. You can read more about the EAs decision here.
The BACP remains engaged with developments associated with the potential removal of the AFD and will continue to press for the inclusion of the acoustic fish deterrent. We will also continue to engage in conversations to understand if any compensation packages associated with its removal are being considered and advocate that the Bristol Avon catchment is included in any compensation programme.
Communicate 2023: 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National news
Status of the River Wye Downgraded
In May 2023, the River Wye SSSI status was downgraded to “unfavourable – declining” by Natural England, with the river showing declines in macrophytes, salmon and white-clawed crayfish. The river has been affected by algal growth limiting oxygen, making it harder for wildlife to survive. Since the announcement the EA have created a dedicated space to detail their work to improve water quality in the Wye and Lugg catchments. Additionally, the largest poultry supplier in the area announced they will no longer sell litter from poultry units to be used as fertilizer within the catchment due to the large proportion of excess of phosphate in the catchment being associated with agriculture.
The campaign group, Foresters against Fouling, are continuing to urge the EA, Welsh Water, and Natural England to do more to combat agricultural pollution in the catchment. It is expected DEFRA will publish a River Wye action plan this Autumn to tackle the issues in Herefordshire following the latest press release on Nutrient Neutrality.
The River Wye from Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, England (Matthew Dixon/Shutterstock)
Update on the nine planetary boundaries has been published
The Planetary Boundaries Framework identifies nine processes that are critical for maintaining the stability and resilience of our planet as a whole. The risk level associated with each process suggests the level of further change that could lead to lead to systemic planetary change by altering the dynamics and spatial patterns of the planet. This is updated every year, and this year’s has just been published.
Most notably, biogeochemical flows are considered high risk, and the Freshwater change is in the “zone of increasing risk”.
Read this article here to find out more.
Below is a diagram of the updated nine planetary boundaries.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funding Opportunities
Farming Innovation Programme - Small R&D Partnership Projects - Round Three Open
DEFRA have opened the next round of Farming Innovation Programme Small R&D Partnership Projects funding competition. The aim of this competition is to:
- Develop solutions with the potential to improve overall productivity, sustainability, resilience and move existing agricultural sectors to net zero
- Ensure solutions have positive outputs for farmers, growers or foresters in commercially relevant situations
- Develop new agricultural solutions, by collaboration through engagement with end users and the UK research community in the innovation process
- Accelerate adoption by ensuring knowledge exchange with the wider sector and other stakeholders
Projects must cost between £1million and £3million. The competition closes 25th October 2023 11:00am. Further details can be found here.
Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot
The Environment Agency has launched the Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot (LAPWDP) following the publication of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force Chair’s Report. The LAPWDP grant will support evidence and knowledge building to create costed plans for lowland peat water management.
Successful projects will support the development of costed management plans for raising water levels within peat soils. It is recognised that some farmers and landowners will wish to undertake a mixed land management regime that includes wetter farming, paludiculture, peat restoration and continued traditional farming.
Fund: £2 million, applications expected to be between £50K and maximum £500k, 100% eligible project costs funded
Duration: 12 months, February 2024-January 2025
Eligibility: Applications to LAPWDP are welcomed from organisations and collaborations focussed on raising water tables within peat soils
Application date: closes 27th October 2023
Details of the Pilot can be found here.
EA Natural Flood Management Programme
The Environment Agency and DEFRA have announced a new Natural Flood Management (NFM) programme, which aims to:
- Reduce local flood risk using NFM
- Provide wider benefits to the environment, nature and society
- Accelerate new and existing opportunities for NFM delivery and financing
- Further improve evidence of NFM by filling knowledge gaps
The programme builds on the NFM pilot programme which ran between 2017 and 2021.
Applications are open until 10th November. Find out more here.
Photo credit: Andrew Turton, Defra Communications
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Job Opportunities
“Big Chalk” Programme Lead
Location – homeworking with some travel
Summary - Covering 19% of England, Big Chalk has the primary objective of building a robust nature recovery network over a vast nature recovery network over a vast area. They are looking for an experienced, highly professional, motivated, and passionate individual to engage with partners and other key stakeholders. Read more here.