In December 2014 WRT held a Catchment Based Approach and Catchment Restoration Fund Conference in Exeter. WRT's Angela Bartlett gave a a presentation of her work undertaking detailed catchment risk assessments for water quality.

1. Overview of the Water Quality
Catchment Assessment approach
Angela Bartlett
Westcountry Rivers Trust

2. INTRODUCTION
• Existing water quality pressures in a catchment.
• Water quality parameters failing in a site of
conservational and/ or human resource interest.
• Assessment of pressures within the catchment.
• Spatial analysis of pollution risks and sources
within the catchment.
What can Water Quality Catchment Assessments be used for?

4. WFD report card for sub-catchments in the Tamar

5. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

6. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

7. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

8. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

9. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

10. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

11. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

12. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

13. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

14. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

15. Mapped
Condition
Assessment
for the
Camel
Catchment

18. Integrated Catchment Based Approach
• Data and evidence
• Catchment scale
analysis
• Stakeholder
dissemination
• Local knowledge

19. • Detailed Spatial Pollution Risk Analysis
• Integrating with Existing Knowledge
• Making Information Accessible
• Provide tailored intervention strategies
Catchment Assessment components:

20. • Detailed Spatial Pollution Risk Analysis
• Integrating with Existing Knowledge
• Making Information Accessible
• Provide tailored intervention strategies
Catchment Assessment components:

21. • Detailed Spatial Pollution Risk Analysis
• Integrating with Existing Knowledge
• Making Information Accessible
• Provide tailored intervention strategies
Catchment Assessment components:

22. • Detailed Spatial Pollution Risk Analysis
• Integrating with Existing Knowledge
• Making Information Accessible
• Provide tailored intervention strategies
Catchment Assessment components:

23. • Detailed Spatial Pollution Risk Analysis
• Integrating with Existing Knowledge
• Making Information Accessible
• Provide tailored intervention strategies
Catchment Assessment components:

24. POLLUTION RISK ANALYSIS

25. • Assessing &
mapping outputs
from existing
models
• E.g. SAGIS, SIMCAT,
PSYCHIC & SCIMAP
Mapped SAGIS output
example from the Tamar
catchment

26. Re-formatted walkover survey data SCIMAP modelled erosion risk maps
Ground-truth
sediment erosion
risk modelling

27. Re-formatted walkover survey data SCIMAP modelled erosion risk maps
Ground-truth
sediment erosion
risk modelling

28. Re-formatted walkover survey data SCIMAP modelled erosion risk maps
Ground-truth
sediment erosion
risk modelling

29. Re-formatted walkover survey data SCIMAP modelled erosion risk maps
Ground-truth
sediment erosion
risk modelling

30. INTEGRATING WITH EXISTING KNOWLEDGE
• Important part of the Catchment
Assessment process
• Engaging with relevant contacts such as
CSF officers and CaBA hosts
Provides a ‘reality check’
Mapping
current
delivery via
CSF and ES
schemes.

31. Bringing stakeholders together from the Tamar catchment

32. ‘Reality checking’ modelled outputs
Zoomed high risk area
from SCIMAP output

33. ‘Reality checking’ modelled outputs
Zoomed high risk area
from SCIMAP output

34. ‘Reality checking’ modelled outputs
Zoomed high risk area
from SCIMAP output

35. MAKING INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE

37. Catchment Characteristics
Morphology and Hydrology Population Density

38. Pollution Pressures

39. Changes in WFD status
map for the Tamar
catchment, 2013

40. Changes in WFD status
map for the Tamar
catchment, 2013

41. Changes in WFD status
map for the Tamar
catchment, 2013

42. Changes in WFD status
map for the Tamar
catchment, 2013

43. Changes in WFD status
map for the Tamar
catchment, 2013

44. Spatial Pollution Risk Analysis

45. SAGIS
outputs for
the Camel
catchment

46. Boxplots showing variations in SS and SRP across sub-catchments in the Tamar

47. Current Delivery

48. Farms signed up to
Environmental
Stewardship
Schemes in the
Camel Catchment

49. Providing an intervention strategy
• Uses assessment of outputs from existing models and
data.
• Identify areas where interventions should be targeted for
water quality.
• FARMSCOPER modelling for on-farm mitigation methods
and pollution reduction estimates.

50. Map identifying
areas for targeted
delivery based on
pollutant source risk
and current
interventions in the
Camel catchment.

51. Example evaluate data sheet for the FARMSCOPER model.

53. FARMSCOPER
visualisation
showing reductions
in pollutant losses
for different
mitigation methods

54. FARMSCOPER
visualisation
showing reductions
in pollutant losses
for different
mitigation methods

55. FARMSCOPER
visualisation
showing reductions
in pollutant losses
for different
mitigation methods

56. FARMSCOPER
visualisation
showing reductions
in pollutant losses
for different
mitigation methods

57. ‘Reality check’
Intervention strategy
for use on the ground

58. • Collaborative approach to catchment management to ‘reality check’
modelled outputs.
• Use visualisation techniques to turn data into evidence.
• Can identify areas for target management.
• Feedback
Areas to work on:
• Accessibility of models, data and reports.
Conclusion

59. Thank you
Contacts:
Angela Bartlett, Data and Evidence Officer
Westcountry Rivers Trust
Email: angela@wrt.org.uk
Dr Russell Smith, Consultancy Director
Westcountry Rivers Limited
Email: russell@wrt.org.uk
Dr Nick Paling, Head of GIS
Westcountry Rivers Trust
Email: nick@wrt.org.uk