Rivers Trusts: England, Wales, Northern Ireland & Republic of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Tony Bostock MIFM, CEnv, AIRTE, ASOE,

Chief Executive - Severn Rivers Trust

admin@severnriverstrust.com

www.severnriverstrust.com 01886 888394

Riverfly Conference NHM London - 17th November 2016

Rivers Trusts: England, Wales, Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland

58 rivers trusts + (26 in Scotland - RAFTS) Capacity is building…

• Trust income > £22m*
• Staff employment > 200*
• Volunteers > 22,000*
• Source Charity Commission 2015*

The Rivers Trust

‘the umbrella body of the rivers trust movement’

Severn Rivers Trust

Founded 2008 Incorporating

Teme Rivers Trust

Charitable Status February 2010 Delivered projects worth over £4m in the last two years. 11 full time employees 3 Part time employee Full Members of:

Afonydd Cymru (Rivers Trust Wales) The Rivers Trust (Formerly the

Association of Rivers Trusts)

Magnificent Severn

(Managing the total Severn Catchment)

• Severn Rivers Trust – The only organisation

with an holistic approach to the management of the Severn catchment

• 10 Wildlife Trusts
• 6 Water Companies
• All Statutory bodies – i.e. NRW, NE, EA & FC etc.
• Local, regional & national governments.
• Ecosystems Services Approach.

River Severn (Afon Hafren)

Run-Off & Sedimentation

Year One Year Two Year Three Year Six

• 30% of the UK ‘s topsoil lost in the last 40 years.
• Rate of loss increased by 300% in last 30 years.
• 2.2m tonnes of topsoil deposited in our rivers

every year.

• Loss to replenishment ratio 14 to 1 in Europe.
• 44% of arable land is at risk of water erosion
• 2006 Guidance to DEFRA - value of loss of soil by

erosion £264m/year across the UK

• The UK’s top soil could be lost within 6 decades!

We Treat Soil Like Dirt !

• Topsoil - primary commodity
• 2006 Guidance to DEFRA - value of loss of

soil by erosion £264m/year across the UK http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/post pn265.pdf

• Topsoil costs = £50/tonne excluding transport,

re-instatement, seed & nutrient loss, etc.

• At an estimated annual loss of 0.2 tonne of

soil/ ha through water erosion the cost, across all farmland, is about £24/ ha year.

• With an estimated 2.2 million tonnes eroded

annually it equates to £120/tonne PER YEAR.

• So £50/tonne for replacing the substance and

up to £120/tonne/year for loss of production.

• Total - £170 per tonne in year 1
• At 110m3 lost X £170 = £18,768 from 1 field!

Value of soil 295m3 DISPLACED 110m3 LOST

Environment Designated Fund

Dippers

Cinclus cinclus

In the River Teme Catchment

2016 2016 2015 2015 2014 2014 2013 2013 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2010 2009 2009 2008 2008

Citizen Science – Riverfly Monitoring

• Trained 335 riverfly monitors

since 2009

• Sampling 117 locations on 57 different

rivers within the Severn Catchment.

• Largest Riverfly Monitoring Group

in the UK

• Diatom & water quality sampling

planned.

Riverfly Workshops

Yellow Mayfly (Potamanthus luteus) Large Green Dun (Ecdyonurus insignis)

SRT Volunteers & Community Groups

Riverflies - Why Rivers Trusts?

• Public & Local community engagement
• Eyes & ears on our rivers
• Sampling monthly
• Detecting severe changes in Water Quality
• Proving our work is Beneficial
• Educational benefit
• Great advantage with funding bids.

£19.4m - LIFE & HLF Project

“Unlocking the Severn for People and Wildlife”

Objective

Restore A. fallax to its historic spawning range on the River Severn and the River Teme Site of Special Scientific Interest by removing nine major barriers to

• migration. This will open up an additional 230km of

spawning grounds to the current distribution.

Take youngster fishing

Thank you

www.severnriverstrust.com

Jean Jackson Trust