confluence 14: autumn 2011
DESCRIPTION
Confluence is the bi-annual newsletter of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Confluence is packed with all of the latest news on the work of the Trust and what is happening in river restoration and conservation across the Westcountry. The Autumn 2011 edition contained special features on the Trust's approach to fisheries management and ecosystem services - as well as the usual news updates about all of our work on fisheries, fishing and catchment management.TRANSCRIPT
CONTENTS
DIRECTORS COMMENTS 3
TRUST NEWS 4
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT:
A FORMULA FOR FISHERIES 6
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT:
EXE PROJECT ANGLING PASSPORT 8
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT:
GET ON YOUR BIKE GO FISHING 10
CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT:
CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT VISION 12
SPECIAL FEATURE:
ECOSYSTEMS SERVICE OUR NEEDS 14
FROM THE RIVER 21
FUNDRAISING NEWS 22
WRT DIGITAL 23
Cover Photo: A woodland river in Devon (iStockPhoto).
Editor: Nick Paling
Contributors: Dylan Bright, Laurence Couldrick, Bruce Stockley,
Stephen Pryor, Hazel Kendall, Nick Paling, Viv Daly, Ray Gordon,
Derrick Jones, Andrew Pym and Simon Steer.
© Copyright: Westcountry Rivers Trust, 2011.
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of
the Westcountry Rivers Trust or the trustees thereof and
responsibility cannot be accepted for opinions herein. Whilst
advertising is welcomed, such advertising and/or logos do not
constitute Westcountry Rivers Trust endorsements of the products,
services or companies involved.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust is a registered charitable limited
company (Charity No: 1135007, Company No: 06545646).
Printed by
A sunny summer day on the Devon Avon
COMMENT
Beans & bugs: can we assess the value of our ecosystems?
3
What is the difference between an economist and an ecologist ?
One counts beans and the other counts bugs, traditionally.
Flippancy aside, it is interesting to note that the word economy has
the same root meaning as the word ecology from the Greek word
oikos, meaning house. Furthermore, both can be defined as the
‘study of consequence’ ‐ one is the study of natural interactions
and their consequences while the other is the study of fiscal
interactions and their consequences. We are now starting to
realize that the two sets of consequences are intimately bound
together. In recent years our society has really started to value
nature, not just philosophically and aesthetically but also
financially. Mediated by this societal pressure in this modern age,
ecologists are now increasingly finding themselves working more
closely with economists to achieve their conservation goals.
We (society) benefit from many resources and processes which are
delivered by a natural, functioning environment. These benefits
are known as ‘ecosystem services’ and include products such as
clean drinking water and processes such as the decomposition of
wastes and the regulation of the climate.
These services have been identified and discussed for decades, but
only recently has the terminology been formalised and made
popular by the United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
This four‐year study, involving thousands of scientists sought to
audit the abundance and health of these services across the world.
The study grouped ecosystem services into four broad categories:
provisioning, such as the production of food and water; regulating,
such as the control of disease and flooding; supporting, such as
nutrient cycles and crop pollination; and cultural, such as historic
and recreational benefits.
The findings showed that nearly all of these services, upon which
we are completely reliant, are critically degraded and that we
need, as a society, to start taking account of the full impact our
actions have on them in all the decisions we make.
This seems to be an impossibly complex task, but at the
Westcountry Rivers Trust we have, in collaboration with our
partners, already started to identify, quantify and economically
value the services arising from river catchments. To achieve this
we have developed maps of current ecosystem service provision
and compared them with another showing the optimal provision
of ecosystem services in an idealised landscape. The difference
between these maps highlights areas that are not being optimally
used or are damaged with regard to their service provision.
These analyses have enabled us to work with the local community
and local businesses that benefit from good quality environmental
services and, in some cases, we have been able to prove that it is
more cost‐effective to protect and restore the environment than
continuing to pay more as a result of a service being degraded. For
example, it is an estimated 65 times more cost‐effective for the
regional water company to work with farmers and landowners
and fund catchment restoration to improve the quality of river
water than it is for the water company to fund the cleaning of that
water after it is taken out of the river. Furthermore, this approach
will not only improve the water quality in the river, but also create
whole rafts of additional benefits to the environment.
In this issue we will look at some of the other new and developing
economic mechanisms for funding environmental protection and
restoration which enable private investment in the environment
by recognising the value of nature.
Dr Dylan Bright Trust Director
WRT staff receive RIVPACS invertebrate sampling training
TRUST NEWS
4
Spring is in full swing
Dylan Bright addresses Chinese delegation
Laurence receives his award
Hard summer gives way to a fruitful autumn WHILE THE WEATHER HAS MADE IT A HARD SUMMER FOR FARMERS, FISHERMEN AND HOLIDAYMAKERS IN THE
WESTCOUNTRY THIS YEAR, IT HAS BEEN A VERY EXCITING TIME FOR THE WESTCOUNTRY RIVERS TRUST. AFTER YEARS OF
HARD GRAFT IT SEEMS WE ARE STARTING TO GET SOME RECOGNITION FOR WORK WE HAVE DONE TO PROTECT RIVERS.
After years of campaigning and action it seems we are starting to win some recognition for work we are doing to protect and enhance
the Westcountry’s fantastic rivers. The Strategic Evidence and Partnership Project (see Confluence 12, p 15) will be presented to the
DEFRA Chief Scientist Professor Bob Watson in November and earlier in the summer Richard Benyon MP met with executives of South
West Water, Westcountry Rivers Trust, the Association of Rivers Trusts and local farmers at Bicton College in Devon. The aim of the
meeting was to develop greater understanding of the collaborative work between organisations and landowners on river catchment
projects in the South West.
The DEFRA Minister spoke with farm managers, Paul Redmore from
the Bicton Estate and George Perrott of Clinton Devon Estates, who
are participating in the Upstream Thinking initiative developed by
South West Water, the Westcountry Rivers Trust and their partners.
The Upstream Thinking initiative aims to improve raw water quality
and all ecological aspects of the region’s rivers. It is a fundamental
change in how water resources are managed in the UK.
‘South West Water is keen to work closely with DEFRA to achieve
common goals and strengthen relationships. The Upstream Thinking
initiative will improve water quality and should help to reduce the cost
of water treatment before supply.’
Chris Loughlin, Chief Executive, South West Water
An autumn morning in the Cornish countryside
Ministerial meeting (L‐R: Martin Ross, Chris Loughlin,
Richard Benyon, Dylan Bright and Arlin Rickard.
TRUST NEWS
Rare sightings more than just fishy tales OUR WORK TO REMOVE OBSTACLES TO FISH MIGRATION AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN WESTCOUNTRY RIVERS HAS HAD
THE SUREST INDICATION OF SUCCESS SO FAR.
First, in July 2011 a pair of sea lamprey were sighted and filmed spawning upstream of the new fish friendly boulder ramp, built to replace
the now disused ‘Head Weir’ on the River Taw in Devon. The cavorting Lamprey were spotted and filmed by local fishermen, Maurice Dyer
and Jon Jonik.
Sea lamprey and Atlantic salmon are examples of fish species that breed in rivers, migrate to sea to grow into large adults and then return
to the same rivers in which they were born, to breed again. These two species have very high conservation status, equivalent to some of
the rarest birds and mammals in the UK, so it is fantastic to see such a tangible indication of the success of this conservation work.
The prevalence of weir building during the industrial revolution to harness water‐power caused many rivers to become fragmented
habitats for migratory species, greatly limiting their range and their abundance. Recent funding received from DEFRA via the Association
of Rivers Trusts, targeted to deliver the EU Water Framework Directive, has facilitated a great deal of work to remove redundant obstacles
in order to reconnect the river.
The Head Weir Project, completed in October 2010, was the brain‐child of the River Taw Fishing Association and the Westcountry Rivers
Trust, as part of the Taw Access over Weirs Project. The project was funded and delivered by these organisations in close collaboration
with, and with huge support from, the Environment Agency.
5
“Removing obstacles to the natural migration of wildlife species is one of the
most important things we can do to give nature a helping hand. Until its recent
removal through this innovative community collaboration, the weir had
presented a major blockage to fish and other species wanting to migrate and
breed upstream.” Arlin Rickard, CEO, The Rivers Trust
Also in July this year, there was further excitement when increased numbers
of the rare Allis Shad were again reported in the lower reaches of the River
Tamar. Allis shad are migratory fish from the Herring family which were
once present in our estuaries and rivers in huge numbers but which, in recent
times, have become extremely rare in the UK. Now, thanks to significant
improvements in water quality and reductions in the impact of netting in the
estuary they appear to be returning to the rivers of the South West.
New genetic analyses are tipping the scales
The Westcountry Rivers Trust is working with academics at the University of Exeter
through our Atlantic Aquatic Resource Conservation Project (AARC) to study the
genetics of our resident Brown and migratory Sea Trout. The aim of the work is to
inform the management of their stocks in southern Britain. Our ultimate aim is to
improve our understanding of the marine phase of the Sea Trout life cycle.
Throughout the Westcountry and beyond, anglers and Environment Agency
sampling teams who have caught brown and sea trout have taken a small scale
sample and posted it back to us in a special envelope. These scales are then sent to
Exeter where DNA analysis can tell us about the health of the fish stocks in the river
system and how the different populations are related to each other.
For more information email Bruce Stockley on [email protected]
Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
A FORMULA FOR FISHERIES IMPROVEMENT OUR FORMULA FOR FISHERIES MANAGEMENT HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES AND TODAY FORMS AN ACTION‐ORIENTATED APPROACH THAT IS BASED UPON ANSWERING THE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS THAT ARE USED TO DIRECT OUR WORKS ON RIVERS.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust’s approach
to fisheries management has evolved
through interaction with various
individuals and agencies, both within the
UK and beyond, but perhaps the greatest
single influence has been that of Ronald
Campbell from the Tweed Foundation.
This action‐focused approach allows
volunteer and professional organisations
of various types and sizes, with a range of
budgets, to take informed decisions that
lead to both delivery on the ground as well
as an increase in our collective knowledge.
Looking at the flow diagram on the next
page, the focus of our efforts is on the
right‐hand side of the diagram ‐ the
analysis, information and the questions
themselves are all directed to the goal of
knowing what is likely to be the most
effective action we can take on the rivers.
This systematic approach seeks to gather
the essential data to make an informed
decision as to what is the best action. It
takes the view that the worst action we
can take is no action, and that, provided
the risks are low, we are better taking
action based on imperfect data than
waiting to get the whole in‐depth picture.
This is the correct interpretation of the
precautionary principle.
In order to manage fish stocks WRT
considers three basic questions:
1. How many fish populations are there in a
catchment?
2. What habitat is available for fish at
various stages of their life cycle?
3. What is the status of these populations at
the moment?
How many fish Populations are there?
This fundamental question has slowly
come to the fore over the last few
decades. Only recently has the genetic
technology matured enough to answer
this question in a reliable and affordable
manner that can be applied on a
catchment‐wide basis. It is very hard to
attempt to manage fish populations if it is not
known how many of them are in a
catchment. This is best demonstrated by the
‘weak population problem’ as described in
Box 1 (right). Once we know the stock
structure of the river we can manage it with
much more confidence and effectiveness. For
example we may realise that the weak stock
can be restored by the removal of a barrier to
migration and it might be worthwhile to
prioritise that barrier removal over other
activities. This is a clear case of seemingly
complex genetic science leading to concrete
action on the ground.
What habitat is available for fish at various
stages of their life cycle?
All fish species require a variety of different
habitat types at different stages of their life
cycle. However, the issue is of particular
importance to migratory fish such as Salmon
and Sea Trout as their life stages are many,
and the habitats they use are hugely varied
over their lifetime development. Every river is
unique; it has different amounts and
arrangements of pools, spawning gravels,
riffles for fry and deeper habitat for parr. If we
carry out rapid habitat walkover surveys
(which can be conducted by Trust staff and
also by trained volunteer groups) then we can
build up a picture of the quirks of our river.
Maybe it has lots of spawning gravel but this
is mostly silted up and unusable, or perhaps
there is plenty of spawning and fry habitat,
but very little habitat suitable for the
maturation of parr.
Once we know this information our
management actions can be well focused to
achieve maximum impact with the resources
we have available.
What is the status of these populations at
the moment?
Substantial effort is already being made to
monitor the status of fish populations on
many rivers. This effort includes the use of
fish counters, tagging studies, electro
fishing, rod catches, log books etc. and much
of this data is published by the Environment
Agency to report nationally and
internationally. Detailed examination of the
‘exploitation rate’ of a fishery, that is to say
the proportion of the fish that are caught on
a river, is of particular importance when
trying to asses the health of the stock.
We then take this data and combine it with
our own, such as rapid semi‐quantitative
electrofishing to assess the current state of
the fish stocks.
Realism
It is clear that we do not have conclusive
answers to the three questions above for all
our catchments (though we are getting close
for Salmon on some of our catchments, e.g.
the River Exe). It is therefore appealing to
respond in the immortal phrase ‘more
research is needed’. However, taking the
approach 'the worst action is no action', that
response is not an option for us. It would lead
to us standing by whilst we monitor decline –
most definitely not the approach of a Rivers
Trust.
Our constructive approach to this situation is
to act simultaneously on all fronts (most
importantly we will take the actions as
described on the diagram overleaf) based on
the best evidence we have whilst,
simultaneously, we will gather and analyse
the relevant information from the middle of
the diagram to guide this action. As we take
action, we are able to gather more
information which promotes more and
better‐focused action on the catchment. It is
this learning cycle of action, information and
analysis that is our formula for fisheries
improvement.
Genetic diversity is the anvil upon which natural selection
forges a species ability to cope with the future
6
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
BOX 1 The ‘weak population’ problem
Imagine a river with three Salmon
populations in it. They do not breed much
with each other, but live next to each
other in different tributaries of our
imaginary river.
The first population is made up of about
500 fish, the second population 450 fish
and the third 30 fish. The third stock is our
‘weak population’.
Now imagine that we set nets on the
bottom of our river and each year we semi
‐randomly select returning fish from the
different stocks. Normally this does not
cause a problem, but, given enough time,
there may come a year when the third
population is unlucky and a large proportion
of its returning fish will be caught: worse
still, it may be that many of the females
from that population are caught. This
random over fishing of the third population
could easily be enough to tip it into terminal
decline, and if we have not done our
homework and found out that there are
three populations there then we could
easily make that stock extinct and never
know it.
You may be asking why do local populations
matter? They matter because fish
populations that are genetically
different are likely to have adapted to
their particular river or tributary, and so
they represent a reservoir of ‘genetic
diversity’ which acts as our insurance
policy against risks in our changing
world.
Our imaginary third population may just
be the one that contains the genes
necessary for UK salmon to survive
global warming – but we will never
know this because it was wiped out by
our lack of knowledge of the population
structure of our rivers.
Schematic showing how our formula for fisheries improvement integrates different monitoring
approaches to assess the condition of the fish stocks and then target and tailor our actions
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
NEW GENERATIONS ARE KEY ON THE EXE THE RIVER EXE PROJECT IS A FANTASTIC EXAMPLE OF A GRASS‐ROOTS CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION INITI‐ATIVE. NOW IN ITS SIXTH YEAR THE PROJECT CONTINUES TO GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.
A joint initiative of the River Exe and
Tributaries Association (RETA) and the
Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT), the River
Exe Project has two aims: protecting,
restoring and enhancing salmon habitat in
the River Exe catchment, and educating
children about river conservation to
ensure that salmon in the Exe will be
protected long into the future.
The River Exe Salmon in the Classroom
Project, with support from the Water
Project, the Exmoor National Park
Authority’s Sustainable Development
Fund and the River Exe and Tributaries
Association, has just completed its third
successful year. During the past three years,
over 350 pupils from the primary schools of
Exford, Cutcombe and Uplowman, along
with those from Blundell’s Preparatory
School and Dulverton Middle School have
been involved in the project.
As an introduction to rivers and wildlife, the
children investigate the water quality of their
local river where their salmon will be released
by looking at the invertebrates living there.
Our ‘River Detectives’ have been delighted to
find that the water quality is very good, as
shown by the abundant numbers of species
such as stonefly and mayfly, which are
known to be very intolerant of organic
pollution. Satisfied that the river is in good
condition, the children then eagerly await
the arrival of their own salmon eggs which,
having grown to the ‘eyed stage’, are soon
ready to be transported from the Exebridge
hatchery. Just weeks after their arrival the
eggs hatch and 3‐4 weeks later they emerge
as swim‐up fry ready to be released into the
rivers Haddeo and Lowman at Easter time.
Late Season has more appeal
Having said this, while the salmon and sea trout were all but absent from the upper
reaches of most rivers this summer, there have still been some very good catches of trout
taken by stealthy fisherman. With the riffles and pools reduced to very low flows the fish
were very easy to spook, but with a careful approach using small flies and light tippets the
fish were catchable.
One great example of the success of a light‐touch approach is Ben Garnett who took and
returned a sea trout of 3lb and over twenty trout in just one July afternoon on the lower
reaches of the River Lynher. Another is Mr Tyzack who enjoyed a scorching hot July day,
taking over twenty five trout from the South Yeo. Perhaps the most fish were caught
using the ‘New Zealand’ style, a simple but very effective method that involves
presenting two flies, a dry fly and a nymph, on the same leader.
Although fishing has been tough over the summer, there have been some fantastic
reports of wildlife including otters, kingfisher and deer with people generally enjoying
spending time on the beats. As someone once said, ‘there is more to fishing than
catching fish’. One fisherman even commented that his day fishing on Dartmoor was one
of his best all round fishing experiences ever!
So after an early summer dominated by low
flow conditions, the beginning of August saw
the arrival of some more rain and by the time
of writing in September, following a
prolonged wet spell at the start of the
month, we began to see the first signs of
salmon and sea trout arriving in the
Westcountry’s rivers with a grilse of 4lb and
two peal of 1.25lb and 1.5lb caught at
Sydenham on the 7th September.
9
In addition to educating our next generation
about salmon, the Exe Project has worked
with the Environment Agency and its other
partners to deliver a huge amount of survey
and restoration work this year. In August the
Trust completed their fisheries habitat
walkover survey of the River Barle between
Withypool and Dulverton, which gave us
vital and detailed evidence to target and
inform our restoration activities. In addition,
our electrofishing surveys in 2010 and 2011
have shown good numbers of salmon fry in
many parts of the Upper Exe catchment.
Trout also showed an improvement with
good numbers found in the upper reaches of
the rivers and streams surveyed.
Salmon parr
After a very warm and dry spring, early summer was just as dry on
the Westcountry’s rivers, with fishermen, farmers and gardeners all
praying for rain for much of May, June and July. There were some
small spates during the summer months, but they went down so
quickly the fishing did not really benefit.
Over
For more information on the Head Weir
project please contact [email protected]
smooth‐reason for there being a weir on the
site).
10
Derrick has been a loyal supporter of the Westcountry Angling Passport scheme and its concept for many years so when he
told us of his plans we thought it was a brilliant idea. To show our appreciation of his endeavour WRT
invited him to finish his trip with a pasty and a beer at our office in the Tamar valley. The following
is Derrick’s own story of his three‐day trip which began at his house near South Molton in Devon.
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
GET ON YOUR BIKE GO FISHING WHEN DERRICK JONES, AVID FLY FISHERMAN, CASTING INSTRUCTOR LOCAL GUIDE, CONTACTED THE TRUST TO SAY HE WAS GOING TO SPEND A FEW DAYS FISHING OUR PASSPORT BEATS WE DIDN’T THINK IT UNUSUAL. WHAT WE DIDN’T KNOW WAS THAT HE WOULD BE RIDING A HEAVILY LADEN BIKE CAMPING IN A BIVVY!
Keeping abreast of the news in the papers or on our televisions at the moment, it is very easy to
become depressed. A faltering economy, ever increasing fuel costs, in fact ever increasing costs
for just about everything. It is enough to make you want a holiday, preferably a fishing holiday.
And there’s the catch, your average fishing break is costing more these days. So at times like
this it pays to be a little more imaginative when you sit down to plan your next escape.
With this in mind, this summer I sat down with the Westcountry
Angling Passport beat brochure and a road atlas to plan
this year’s fishing holiday. The Angling Passport scheme
offers fantastically varied fishing throughout Devon and
Cornwall at a very reasonable price and I spent an
enjoyable evening perusing the brochure and selecting
five interesting looking beats to investigate. These beats
are linked by a network of B roads and tiny country lanes,
through the heart of the beautiful Devon countryside and
what better way can there be to explore this wonderful
environment than on a bicycle?
With the route planned and the time off secured all
that remained was to buy my Westcountry
Angling Passport tokens and work out
how to attach two rods, chest waders,
tent, sleeping bag and 5 days‐worth
of food to my trusty bike.
I set off in early July to cycle over
150 miles through Devon and
Cornwall in just five days, fishing
a different river each day.
As my journey unfolded, what really
surprised me was the variety of fishing that
can be found within a relatively small distance.
On the River Culm in Devon (number 2 on the map),
the Champerhaies beat is a low lying river running
through rich pasture, where you have a chance of
dace, roach, chub and even pike in addition to the
ever‐present brown trout. The trout in the Culm
are bright silver with buttery yellow bellies and
grow well in their relatively rich ecosystem.
In stark contrast to the Culm, the Cherrybrook is
a tiny upland stream on the very top of Dartmoor
(number 7 on the map) where I fished for small, but
feisty trout stained dark to suit the peaty environment
they inhabit. Another very different experience was fishing the
Map showing
Derrick’s 150 mile
route across the
Westcountry
11
Further Information
When not working full time for HM
Coastguard, Derrick runs Adventure
Fly Fishing UK; a company that
offers fly casting tuition and guiding
throughout the country with an
emphasis on giving people
adventurous fishing experiences.
To find out more about Derrick’s fly fishing adventures
visit his website at www.adventureflyfishinguk.co.uk.
To find out more about the Westcountry Angling
Passport scheme visit ‐ www.westcountryangling.com.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust’s Angling Passport is part
of Country Sports South West Project, which aims to
promote all country sport activities and holidays across
South West England through its new website ‐
www.countrysportssouthwest.co.uk.
crystal clear water of the beautiful River Inny which dances over the river’s rocky bed. Here you
can find grayling in addition to the trout and, in response to freshwater, there is always the
chance that a salmon or sea trout could be encountered.
It really was an eye opener just how the nature of these rivers varied and also therefore
the fishing. I caught trout on a deeply fished nymph
on the Culm, on a tiny aphid imitating dry fly
on the Little Dart, on a streamer on the
River Torridge ahead of the arrival of a
large spate, on a big black dry fly flicked
ahead of me on the Cherrybrook and on
New Zealand rig tactics on the Inny.
Having described the differences between
these rivers, it should be said that there
were many similarities as well. All five rivers
looked to be in rudest of health. I saw kingfishers,
often considered to be a good barometer for the
health of a river system, on four of the five rivers,
including watching one on the River Culm
catch a fish and return to its perch to eat it,
from just a few feet away. I also
encountered foxes, roe deer, buzzards
and dippers whilst fishing and enjoyed
some stunning views, glorious
sunsets and tumultuous weather.
So, after five days on the road, I
finished my trip with a pasty and a
pint with the staff of the Westcountry
Rivers Trust before spending a final few
hours down along the River Inny.
I returned from my holiday feeling refreshed (ok, apart from
my tired legs) and suitably virtuous. I had enjoyed a fantastic
fishing holiday and yet spent very little money. I had burnt
very little carbon, but a fair few calories and, in fishing
Westcountry Angling Passport beats, I have helped the
Westcountry Rivers Trust in their work to preserve and
enhance the very environment that I had enjoyed so much.
So next time you are looking for a great holiday, why not
plan your very own Westcountry Rivers fishing tour?
The Westcountry Rivers Trust retains its passionate belief
that our rivers are a wonderful natural resource that
should be protected and managed for the benefit of
everyone. By working with angling associations, wildlife
groups and farmers to improve the river corridor, while at
the same time helping land‐owners and river owners
market their fishing, we believe that we have developed a
fisheries management scheme that both improves our
rivers health and gives people an affordable and pleasant
way to enjoy them.
M. Szczepanek
CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT
OUR CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT APPROACH IT IS CLEAR THAT IF, AS A SOCIETY, WE WANT TO GET THE MOST FROM OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPES AND BENE‐FIT FROM ALL OF THE SERVICES THEY CAN PROVIDE, WE MUST CHANGE THE WAY WE USE THE LAND SO THAT ALL OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS ARE PROTECTED.
The population of Britain, driven by our
great agricultural and industrial
revolutions, has exploded from just 10
million in 1800 to nearly 60 million today
and, while there can be little doubt that
the huge improvements we have seen in
our healthcare and living standards have
offered us a wonderful opportunity to
enjoy ever longer and more fruitful lives,
we now know that this period of relative
prosperity has come to us at a great cost.
In achieving all that we have, it is now
clear that we have done so at the expense
of our natural environment and the
resources it provides. As our numbers
have swelled we have demanded ever
more food, fuel and water from our
environment and yet we have done almost
nothing to protect the ecosystems that
provide these services. We rely on our
natural landscapes to provide for and
protect us (and they are a vital part of our
heritage, our culture and our daily lives),
but we have ravaged them without a
thought for what damage we are doing.
In recent decades we have, with varying
degrees of success, adopted a number of
different approaches to the restoration and
conservation of our increasingly degraded
natural environments.
Regulation is the process by which
Government agencies enforce national and
European legislation developed to protect
the environment from damaging human
impacts. Regulation, often referred to as the
‘polluter pays’ principle, is a vital tool for the
protection of the environment and has
achieved huge success in reducing the
occurrence of severe pollution and other
damage being done to our natural
ecosystems. This approach has, however,
proved to be less effective in mitigating the
effects of diffuse, chronic pollution or other
impacts that cause the slow degradation of
natural ecosystems.
The traditional conservation approach,
sometimes referred to as ‘fortress
conservation’, is where important habitats
are protected by being designated as sites
important for the conservation of nature.
Such designations are given legal protection
under European, national or local law and
targets are set to ensure that they are not
destroyed or degraded. There can be little
doubt that the land acquisition and
designation approach to nature conservation
has created safe havens for many of our
rarest species and their habitats, but it is a
very expensive approach and it appears to
have achieved little in protecting natural
ecosystems across the wider landscape.
Community conservation is where farmers
are empowered to exploit natural resources
in a more sustainable way. For example, if
farmers can be made aware of the economic
benefits they could achieve by changing
their agricultural practices to reduce their
impacts on natural ecosystems, they are
usually more inclined to do it. Something as
simple as creating a nutrient management
plan will ensure that the farmer’s valuable
nutrients are taken up by their crop and are
not lost into the river. The community
conservation approach has been shown to
yield catchment‐scale improvements in
ecosystem health, but its costs and benefits
can be undermined by fluctuations in global
markets and there is limited incentive to
invest in expensive farm infrastructure.
Perhaps the most commonly used approach
to environmental protection in the wider
landscape is currently incentivisation. This is
where farmers are incentivised to alter their
farming practices or invest in farm
infrastructure by the people who benefit
from improvements in ecosystem function.
This approach, known as the ‘provider is paid
principle’, is currently undertaken largely by
the government for the benefit of society as
a whole, but, while this approach can achieve
dramatic catchment‐scale impacts on
ecosystem function, to be universally
successful it will require a joined‐up vision for
catchment management in the future. In
particular, if we want private companies to
invest in catchment management on behalf
of their customers we will need to build clear
cases that include accurate indications of the
cost and benefit implications for them.
12
Catchment Area Partnerships
Delivering the needs of society through better catchment management is not only the
responsibility of the public sector but also the private and third sector. The Westcountry
Rivers Trust believes that all groups actively involved in regulation, land management,
scientific research or wildlife conservation in a catchment area should be drawn together
with landowners and other interest groups to form a catchment management
partnership. This partnership, which will include a mixture of public, private and third
sector groups, will then be responsible for coordinating the planning, funding and
delivery of good ecological health for that river and its catchment.
The Environment Minister Richard Benyon MP has recently announced that the
Government is also committed to adopting a more catchment‐based approach
to sharing information, working together and coordinating the efforts to protect
England’s water environment. Following this announcement, DEFRA have begun
working with the Environment Agency to explore improved ways of engaging with
people and organisations that can make a real difference to the health of our rivers,
lakes and streams.
In the summer of 2011 the Environment Agency launched a new initiative that will test
the catchment partnership approach in ten "pilot" catchments. Alongside these ten EA‐
led pilots they would like fifteen more pilot catchments to be established that will be
hosted by other organisations. The Westcountry Rivers Trust has put their name into the
hat to host some catchments in the Westcountry as it already has strong links with many
of the major groups that effect, or are affected by, how land is managed.
CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT
The Catchment Management team of the
Westcountry Rivers Trust is dedicated to
improving ecosystem function by forging a
shared vision for our catchments that allows
funding to be acquired from multiple
sources that gain from changes in
management and then spent locally to
deliver this vision.
To do this our work is split into four key
areas.
(1) Investigation. Using the latest
modelling, surveying and mapping
techniques we assess river condition,
identify threats to ecosystem health and
create integrated catchment management
plans.
(2) Justification. We use the evidence we
collect to convince farmers of their potential
role in ecosystem management and of the
benefits to them of being involved. We also
use our data and evidence to engage
potential funders of catchment restoration.
(3) Delivery. We deliver a suite of targeted
catchment management interventions (in
an evidence‐led way) to achieve the best
possible environmental and economic
benefits for all of the interested parties.
(4) Education. We must communicate the
work we do to the public. We do this
through educational events, such as public
talks, agricultural workshops, school visits
and university courses, and through a series
of Trust publications and websites.
Map showing the
catchment of the
River Tamar and
it’s tributaries
13
An ecosystem is formed by a community of animals, plants and
micro‐organisms interacting with themselves and the physical
environment in which they live. Within a functional ecosystem the
community of living organisms exists in a finely balanced
equilibrium of life and death, with each forming a key component
of the food web and living in an environment in which the physical
elements, such as water, nutrients and other chemicals, are
constantly cycling and shifting around (and through) them.
As just one organism in the natural ecosystems that surround us,
we also rely on them to provide us with a wide array of the things
we need to survive. These benefits, which we call ecosystem
services, include the provision of the food we eat, flood protection,
sufficient clean water, habitats for wildlife, spaces for recreation,
clean air and the storage of our greenhouse gas emissions.
Unfortunately, as our population has grown over the centuries we
SPECIAL FEATURE
ECOSYSTEMS SERVICE OUR EVERY NEED have become increasingly disconnected from natural ecosystems
and the services they provide. Since the people of Britain first began
to migrate into towns and cities, for example, we have largely
stopped growing our own food and increasingly relied on farmers to
exploit our natural ecosystems for us and to produce the food we
need to sustain us. They bring their produce into the market places
and shops and we pay them for the provision of this vital service.
The potential problem with this system is that, as the demand for
food grows, our natural ecosystems are being put under ever
greater pressure to produce food. In addition, while farming can be
lucrative if the global market is strong, at present farmers are having
to put more and more of their land into ever higher intensity
agriculture to make ends meet.
Over the last 20 years there has been a growing recognition that the
ecosystem services approach has huge potential for the effective
Balancing the provision of ecosystem service provision
targeting, funding and delivery of environmental restoration and
protection. In 2000 the United Nations Secretary‐General Kofi Annan
called for the global consequences of ecosystem change for human
well‐being to be assessed and in 2001 the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment (MEA) project was initiated. The project, which
incorporated the scientific research of more than 1,300 experts
worldwide, was designed to provide a complete appraisal of the
condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they
provide. It also assessed the options available to us to restore,
conserve or enhance the sustainable use of these ecosystems. The
MEA, which has now been followed by a National Ecosystem
Assessment in the UK, divides ecosystem services into four groups ‐
Supporting services: services for the production of other ecosystem
services; soil formation, photosynthesis, primary production,
nutrient cycling and water cycling.
Provisioning services: products obtained from ecosystems;
including food, fibre, fuel, genetic resources, biochemicals, natural
medicines, pharmaceuticals and fresh water.
Regulating services: benefits from the regulation of ecosystem
processes; including air quality and climate regulation, water
resources management, erosion reduction, water purification,
disease prevention, pest control and pollination.
Cultural services: the non‐material benefits people obtain from
ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development,
reflection, recreation and aesthetics.
In this special feature on ecosystem services we summarise some
of the key ecosystem services provided by our river catchments
and the approaches we can use to improve them through
integrated catchment management.
The ecosystem services provided by a river catchment exist in a delicate balance; some are
complementary and others antagonistic. If the provision of some services become dominant then
the river system can lose its ability to provide others. The key is to find the right balance...
Ecosystems Service our Every Need
Payments for Ecosystem Services
At present, farmers, who represent less than 1% of our society, currently manage
nearly 80% of our countryside and are responsible for the health of the ecosystems it
supports. However, despite this key role for farmers in managing our natural
ecosystems, they are currently only paid for the provision of one ecosystem service;
food production.
So how do we ensure that the ecosystems in our landscape are still able to produce
the food we need and farmers are able to have sustainable and profitable
businesses, but in a way that is not detrimental to the other services ecosystems
provide?
The first thing we need is for farmers to reduce the intensity at which they farm the
parts of their land that play a key role in the delivery of other ecosystem services.
Unfortunately, the implication for the farmer of this ‘extensification’ will be a
reduction in the amount of food they produce and their business will be damaged.
We therefore believe farmers should, in addition to being paid for the food they
produce, be paid for undertaking sympathetic, extensive farming in areas where
they have agreed to reduce their productivity for the benefit of other services
provided by the environment. Effectively they should be paid for farming natural
resources instead of food on some sections of their land.
The big question this raises is; if farmers are to be paid for farming natural resources,
who should pay for this service? Where are the markets in which these products are
sold? Well, the answer is that there are people, communities and organisations that
benefit from these other environmental, or ecosystem, services. Everyone who
needs clean water to drink and bathe in has an interest in protecting the water in our
rivers. Fishermen, canoeists, ramblers and bird watchers – all want to enjoy rich and
healthy environments where wildlife thrives in beautiful surroundings.
We believe that these people, who already pay a huge price when our rivers are
damaged and degraded, should instead be the ones who help to protect them in the
first place – by supporting farmers who are willing to change the way they use their
land.
This principle, if the market can be realised, is termed the Payments for Ecosystem
Services approach to natural environment protection. If we can persuade those who
benefit from the maintenance of healthy, productive ecosystems across our
landscape that they should support the people who are responsible for their upkeep,
then (and only then) will we be able to create a more sustainable environment,
locally and globally, that will continue to support and provide for us long into the
future.
There are examples of PES schemes, including the Westcountry Rivers Trust’s very
own Upstream Thinking initiative with South West Water, that are already working
to enhance ecosystem services provision in the UK. There are however, some key
challenges that remain to be overcome if we are to see more such schemes
developing over the coming years.
First, the schemes must be voluntary and the market should be built upon trust
between the seller, the buyer and an ethical broker. Second, it is vital that the land
delivering multiple ecosystem services can be effectively identified and that
evidence of the quantity and quality of the services provided can be collected and
reported to the buyers. Finally, the administrative cost of running the scheme, both
in setting up contracts and policing of delivery, must not be prohibitive.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) need clean water
Image: Andreas Trepte
Image: Small Ritual
SPECIAL FEATURE
Fresh water & water regulation Rain falling on the land brings life to the plants and animals living
upon it, but it also collects and runs across the land forming rills,
gullies, streams and ultimately rivers. The transfer of fresh water
onto and then across the land is one of the fundamental processes
that sustain life on Earth. All of us depend on the fresh clean water
in our rivers and streams every day – we drink it, we bathe in it and it
sustains other life on which we depend for food and enjoyment.
Fresh water brings life to our landscape, but when the land is in poor
condition, when it is suffering because it is being exploited too
intensively, moving water can wreak untold damage upon it. Soil,
organic material and other pollutants on the land are too easily
transported into streams and rivers, polluting the water and
suffocating the life that it supports.
In addition to the role that the land plays in detoxifying and filtering
water, natural ecosystems also play a key role in regulating the rate
at which water is released from the land and into rivers and streams.
If water is not held on the land and in the soil for very long then it
not only accumulates in rivers too rapidly at first, which can cause
flooding lower down the catchment, but it also passes through the
river system too quickly resulting in ecologically damaging drought
during periods of low rainfall.
To help us identify key areas of land that play a vital role in the
purification and regulation of water in our rivers, we can now use
the latest digital mapping technology to visualise the way that
water moves across a landscape and so identify areas where
more intensive food production poses the least threat to the river
and the life it sustains. The technology also allows us to identify
areas where over‐exploitation of the land could leave it
vulnerable to damage and where rivers might therefore be
vulnerable to contamination or extreme flow levels. With these
so called ‘high risk’ areas identified we can then work with the
farmers to change the way they use this land, so that any
potential damage to the river is minimised.
The provision of clean fresh water in our rivers, which is equally
critical for the supply of our drinking water and the sustenance of
our fisheries, shell fisheries and bathing waters, is a service that is
fairly easy to value. Likewise the economic and human cost of
flooding or drought can also be quantified and, taken together,
this means that we can create a market in which the beneficiaries
of these services make a financial contribution towards
catchment management. By paying for agricultural
extensification and improved land‐use practice in the catchment,
funders could save huge amounts of expense in the future.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Provision of habitats & ecological networks The living organisms that live in an ecosystem are also a critical
component of it, playing key roles in the cycling of nutrients and
other elements through the system. The presence of rich and
abundant wildlife in an ecosystem can be a good indication that it
is in good health and it may also suggest that the ecosystem is
providing other services as well. For example, where there is an
abundance of insect life, it is highly likely that flowers and crops are
well pollinated. Likewise, a soil with high levels of biodiversity in it
is more likely to be a productive and healthy medium for growing
crops and recycling nutrients.
Having a rich variety of life in the natural ecosystems in which we
live is also hugely important for us; interacting with rich and
diverse natural habitats has been shown to culturally enrich our
lives and improve our psychological and physical well‐being.
In light of this vital role for natural habitats and the wildlife they
support in ecosystem function and in the provision of other
ecosystem services, it is vitally important for all of us that our
natural ecosystems contain sufficient interconnected habitat areas
in which wildlife, or biodiversity, can thrive. A web of natural
habitats that supports healthy populations of all our wildlife species
in an ecosystem is called an ecological network.
In a recent government report Professor John Lawton concluded
that our existing protected wildlife conservation sites do not
represent a ‘coherent and resilient ecological network’. He believes
that we must find a way to integrate the provision of connected
natural habitats into the management of our natural landscapes.
At the Westcountry Rivers Trust we believe that the Payments for
Ecosystem Services approach to river catchment management,
with funding coming from a wide array of potential beneficiaries, is
the best way to deliver the ecological networks we need to put in
place. The other advantage of the PES approach is that catchment
management work undertaken to improve the delivery of other
ecosystem services, such as water quality improvements, will in
many cases create habitat and corridors for wildlife as a by‐product.
18
Sundew in a wetland. Image: Hazel Kendall
SPECIAL FEATURE
Regulation of greenhouse gases The level of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in our atmosphere is regulated
through the opposing effects of their capture and sequestration during biological
processes and their subsequent release when the resulting biological material is
broken down or destroyed.
The plants and soils of natural habitats, such as woodlands, peat bogs and other
wetlands, play a key role in capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. It is estimated that peat bogs alone in the UK
could be storing carbon equivalent to all of our emissions from industry for 20 years. In
addition, although the plants in agricultural landscapes contribute little to greenhouse
gas sequestration, the soil in farmland does play a key role in storing carbon and other
greenhouse gases.
Unfortunately, if agricultural land or natural habitats become damaged then the
greenhouse gases they hold can be lost to the atmosphere. Wetlands are particularly
vulnerable to drying, erosion and, in the case of peat bogs, over‐harvesting of the peat
itself for use as fuel or as compost. The intensification of agricultural practices can also
lead to the increased emission of greenhouse gases from the soil and some practices,
such as mechanical farming, high density livestock farming and the use of agro‐
chemicals, can themselves cause the emission of greenhouse gases.
In the UK we have lost a large proportion of our woodland and wetland habitats, but
we can still identify large areas of our landscape which, due to their terrain and their
predisposition to being wet, could easily be reverted to wetland or woodland habitat
and so become sinks for greenhouse gases. We can also reduce the emission of
greenhouse gases from intensively farmed agricultural land, by encouraging farmers
to farm more sustainably and sympathetically in certain areas where the land, if
damaged, is vulnerable to degradation and greenhouse gas loss.
The key to developing this as a Payments for Ecosystem Services initiative is first to
gain a good understanding of how much sequestration might be achieved using this
approach. Once we can quantify delivery of the service, then we can begin to market it
to groups or companies with an interest in off‐setting their carbon emissions.
19
Honey bee
Pyramidal orchids Leaf litter in an ancient woodland
SPECIAL FEATURE
Culture, recreation & tourism Healthy natural ecosystems in both rural and urban environments
provide somewhere for people to engage in recreation, tourism
and social activities. Access to natural environments also plays a
central role in the cultural, economic and social enhancement of
our communities and the enrichment of our lives as individuals.
Numerous scientific studies have now shown that interacting
with, and spending time in, the natural world actually enhances
our quality of life, improves our emotional well‐being, reduces
stress and improves our health.
Recreational and cultural activities that are dependent on healthy
and beautiful natural environments include; surfing and
swimming in the sea, boating and kayaking, walking, bird‐
watching and natural history, fishing, art and photography. All of
these pursuits take people out into the natural environment and
allow them to enjoy the benefits it can give them.
For organisations interested in the restoration and conservation
of natural ecosystems it is important to recognise that many of
these recreation and leisure pursuits are greatly valued by the
people that undertake them and that this value can be quantified.
As a result of this, each activity therefore has the potential for the
development of Payments for Ecosystem Services markets and
therefore has the potential to develop funds for river catchment
management.
A fantastic example of this process, that has already been shown
to be effective as a method for promoting recreation and
improving rivers, is the Rivers Trusts’ Angling Passport Scheme.
By working with farmers and land‐owners to help them market
their fishing we have created a PES scheme where the
beneficiaries of the healthy ecosystem, the fishermen, make
payments directly to the people who are providing that service;
the land managers.
Another project that the Westcountry Rivers Trust are working
on, in partnership with the British Association for Shooting and
Conservation (BASC), is the Country Sports South West Project,
which is aimed at bringing together and developing the region’s
wealth of country sport activities.
While this PES mechanism for funding river restoration is
undoubtedly a valid one, there are a number of major challenges
that we face when trying to set up markets for recreation,
tourism and cultural activities. First, there is the issue of access:
the public are unlikely to be willing to pay for a service to which
they have limited access due to location or price. We must work
to overcome barriers to access if the market is to be developed
for the benefit of all.
Secondly and perhaps most importantly, is the difficulty we have
in placing an economic value on the often intangible cultural,
spiritual and aesthetic benefits provided by this type of
ecosystem service. People tend to understand that we would all
be worse off if these services were no longer being provided, but
they are less likely to be willing to pay for them if they cannot see
the immediate demonstrable benefits to themselves.
20
Birdwatchers
Image: Hey Mr Glen
Kayaks
Image: Steve Richie
Beautiful summer river
Like a well‐used muscle the river courses through the valley
which is my home. In summer, you can see the knots and
sinews of its course: twenty long pools and perhaps twice that
number of runs, riffles, glides and island streams that subtly change from year to
year. Gravel banks and islands form and shift sprouting little forests of willow, birch
and alder with garlands left by winter floods streaming from their branches.
BY RAY GORDON
FROM THE RIVER
Throughout the long summer days goosander, merganser
and cormorant patrol the shallow riffles and faster
streams. Tern, black headed gull, kingfisher,
martins, swifts and osprey quarter the surface. Mallard
families, coot, dipper, wagtails and heron stalk the
edges and eddies. At dusk, the night shift resumes its
vigil. Bats, owl and otter appear and disappear into the darkness.
The insects appear and vanish in their ephemeral way. Mayflies,
sedge, stonefly and midge make an appearance when it
suits at their allotted times, which vary with the weather
and season. At such times they distract the birds from
their aquatic quarry. It is on these occasions, if the
sun is not too bright or the wind or water not too
cool, that the river’s indigenous creatures rise
to the surface and reveal themselves to us. Trout,
salmon parr and grayling dimple the smoother
glides with their nebs, splash their tails as they dive
with a tasty morsel, roll up their dorsal fins or, for reasons best known to
themselves, leap clear of their element and plop back leaving an enigmatic ring of ripples.
The trout is perhaps the most prolific species that spends its entire life within the river.
It needs to survive to sexual maturity by escaping predators and finding or
following food sources throughout the seasons. It is then driven to spawn, perhaps not
every year thereafter but at least several times. On each occasion it will deplete its
flesh and require considerable effort to regain condition. As it grows older, bigger
and more solitary its diet may change to include the infants of its own
and other species.
Someone once said, a long time ago, “Where there is trout you
will find beauty”. On this river , in the presence of trout there
is certainly beauty: in the fragility of the ephemeral
olives, the grace of the swift, the flash of the kingfisher,
the quietness of the heron, the dance of the dipper,
the sleek surprise of the otter; the sublime outline
of the hills, the lush verdant slopes of mixed woodland,
riparian primroses, foxgloves, wild garlic; the ever changing
light and darkness, hiding and revealing aspects of beauty in a
kaleidoscope of colour and shade as the day and the year turns from the steely
grey‐blue of winter to the riot of spring colours, through the variegated summer to the
burnished bronze of autumn.
And through all of this beauty, ceaselessly, urgently, restlessly, the river’s sinews stretch
and pulse, reflecting all the life and beauty by day and by night. Even in the
monochrome darkness revealing an infinite variety of ever changing quicksilver
patterns punctuated by trout launching themselves into the moonlight or moon‐
shadows and disappearing into their own golden brown, butter yellow, crimson
speckled beauty safe, for a while, in the sinews of the river.
FUNDRAISING NEWS
Thanks to our supporters and funders WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK‐YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS AND FUNDERS ‐ WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE
WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH AND NATURAL VALUE OF OUR RIVERS AND RIVER CATCHMENTS.
22
Fund will endow bright future on Westcountry rivers THE WESTCOUNTRY RIVERS TRUST’S NEW RIVER ENDOWMENT FUND IS AIMED AT SECURING THE FINANCIAL
FOUNDATIONS OF THE TRUST AND THEREFORE WILL ALSO ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF THE WESTCOUNTRY’S RIVERS
LONG INTO THE FUTURE.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust has clear objectives to protect in
perpetuity our rivers and landscapes from exploitation and
piecemeal environmental policies, and the long term financial
resources of Trust are fundamental to achieving this vision. The
Trust already makes maximum use of grant funding from
government agencies, water companies and the European Union
to augment the donations from Trust supporters, but these do not
provide the long‐term financial stability we need to achieve our
goals.
To address this, the Trustees have now established a Rivers
Endowment Fund, which aims to provide this security for our work
to continue regardless of the vagaries of external funding. The
Trustees hope that over a number of years the Fund will grow to
be a major force in the region to protect our rivers and landscapes
permanently.
Where will the money come from?
The Fund will seek donations and legacies from people who may
already be supporters of the rivers trust movement. They are
probably people who have strong links with salmon and trout
fishing and have long held concerns about the impact of climate
change and farming practice on water quality, fish stocks and
migration patterns. These concerns are likely to be linked to
particular rivers, favourite fishing beats, fishing rights and riparian
ownership.
The Fund will also appeal to people who identify closely with a
landscape or habitat which they know and love and who wish to
see the rivers which flow through it protected. The Fund is also
seeking gifts that are non‐financial, such as property or fishing
rights.
What will the Fund be invested in?
Funds donated to the Westcountry Rivers Trust Endowment Fund
will be held in catchment specific restricted funds and the interest
accrued will be used to fund river restoration and catchment
management activities in that catchment.
The investment proceeds from the fund will be used to support
projects that make a significant difference to water quality and the
life in and around our rivers or a section of a river. Projects might be
specific, for example, installing fish passes, preventing silt and run
off, cleaning redds or releasing new stock. Projects with more
general benefits might include permanent funding of a warden who
can work with other interest groups to protect the river and advise
on land management practices.
When a river fund reaches £100,000 it may generate around £5,000
per year to spend on the river. This income could be used to ‐
fence and stabilise several short sections of river bank: £100 each.
restore fish breeding grounds and improve habitats for wildlife in
the river corridor: £5,000.
When a river fund reaches £1,000,000 it may generate around
£50,000 per year to spend on the river. This income in a catchment
could be used to ‐
fund a part time river warden for several years: £20,000 p.a.
undertake a biological and chemical monitoring programme:
£20,000.
remove weir and install a fish pass: £50,000 ‐ £100,000.
If you would like to obtain further information about the Trust’s
River Endowment Fund please contact the Trust office on 01579
372140 or email [email protected] to obtain an information pack.
WRT DIGITAL
Data & mapping: helping us to put rivers in their place
23
Maps have always been a powerful and vital
communication tool for ecologists and
conservation practitioners. Whether
engaged in scientific research, monitoring
species and habitats, influencing policy
makers or engaging the public, clear and
easy to understand maps can really help to
get a conservation message across.
In recent years, the pressure on local
authorities, government agencies and
conservation organisations to make the
most efficient and effective use of the
limited resources available for conservation
has grown significantly.
Indeed, huge emphasis is now placed on the
use of spatial data and geographic
information in evidence‐based policy and
decision making and few fields have
experienced as dramatic an expansion in the
use of geographic information as the
ecology and conservation sectors.
Spatial data and geographic information
differ from traditional data and evidence in
the fact that they have the added element of
location or place associated with them.
Spatial data is created, managed, presented
and analysed using a Geographic Information
System (GIS). A GIS is a collection of
computer hardware, software, and
geographic data for capturing, managing,
analysing and displaying all forms of
geographically referenced information.
By breaking the real world down into a series
of layers a GIS allows the user to analyse data
visually and see patterns, trends and
relationships that might not be visible in
tabular or written form.
A GIS is a powerful tool for presenting data in
maps, but perhaps its greatest power is that
it can be used to model spatial relationships
and answer questions about how things
relate spatially to each other in the real
world. This type of question is known as a
spatial query and the method for studying
spatial relationships is termed spatial
analysis. Spatial analysis can range from the
measurement of distances or areas right
through to the analysis of river networks,
or the modelling of species populations or
habitat restoration opportunities.
Conservation organisations are now
increasingly looking to use spatial
evidence to inform both their work and
their landscape‐level conservation
strategy development.
To develop a comprehensive and robust
spatial evidence‐base, conservation
organisations need to acquire the latest
mapping technologies and develop key
skills in the creation and management of
spatial data, the production of
professional maps and the latest spatial
analysis techniques. To help Rivers Trusts
meet this need the Westcountry Rivers
Trust have teamed up with the Rivers
Trust and the University of Reading to
develop a series of GIS training courses
specifically tailored to the work of their
staff.
There will be more courses over the
coming months, so please contact us if
you would like to attend.
Trust using film to spread vision
At the Westcountry Rivers Trust we are
always looking for new ways to share our
vision for river conservation and this
summer we have been working to create a
number of short films about various aspects
of our work.
Films are a great way to communicate what
you are doing and why to the public and
partners alike. This is especially true now
that videos can reach such large audiences
on the internet, so keep an eye out for our
films as they are released on our website
and a number of other sites.
Our new films include one for the Atlantic
Aquatic Resources Conservation (AARC)
Project, one on our work for the Rural
Economy and Land Use (RELU) Programme,
and one on ecosystem services for the new
WATER Project website.
The films represent just one part of our wider
efforts to engage and educate people about
the work of the Trust to protect and
conserve the Westcountry’s wonderful rivers
and their catchments.