Upstream Thinking for Cleaner Water

01 April 2019

A significant funding boost to the Upper Dove area will help deliver improved water quality.

Funding from The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development has been awarded to the South West Peak Landscape Partnership to support the project Upstream Thinking and will complement funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Upstream Thinking will draw on the experience of farmers and local landowners to improve water quality by increasing understanding, capital investment and natural flood management in the South West Peak. By supporting sustainable upstream land management, far-reaching water quality improvements can be achieved.

The project will include a range of work such as producing farm water and soil plans to help reduce diffuse pollution, removing non-native invasive species and creating new habitats.

The project will also restore habitats like wet heath and blanket bog which retain a large amount of water and act as natural filters to slow the flow of water into local rivers and filter out many impurities. This benefits us all by encouraging natural processes to maintain healthy rivers; and healthy water makes for healthy communities.

Tim Brooks, Dove Catchment Coordinator for the Environment Agency (EA) said: “Working at the source of our major rivers is vital to achieve benefits for water quality, flood risk and biodiversity throughout whole catchments, for the benefit of everyone. This Water Environment Grant is good news as our partners can work together and do more to improve their local water environment."

For more information on how to get involved in your local river catchments: https://catchmentbasedapproach.org

For those who are keen to help improve local watercourses there are many opportunities to volunteer and get your hands dirty on the front-line of environmental conservation. The installation of leaky dams (features constructed to slow the flow of water in problem areas), and the targeted removal of invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam are labour intensive and require a group effort.

If you are interested in getting a great workout, meeting interesting people and helping the environment to boot you can head on over to our Volunteer page to learn more.