The History of the Westcountry RIvers Trust
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At the Trust's recent Catchment Management Conference and 20th Anniversary Celebration, Arlin Rickard our first Director and subsequent founder of The Rivers Trust gave a hugely entertaining presentation on the Trust's history and all of the astonishing things that have been achieved since we formed in 1994.
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The History of the Westcountry RIvers Trust
- 1. The RiversTrust ‘the umbrella body of the rivers trust movement’ www.theriverstrust.org Global thinking – local action Arlin Rickard - Chief Executive
- 2. The Story… • Time-line • The issues • In the beginning • The trustees • The idea • The name • The logo • The people - mentors & heroes all • WRT Projects • The RiversTrust / Association of RiversTrusts • The Catchment BasedApproach (CaBA) • The future?
- 3. How long have you got! Arlin Rickard & time-line • 1993 - discussions with Stuart Gardiner • 1994 - formation ofWRT, withAR as Director (unpaid) • 1995 - receivedWRT charity number & launch event • 1996 -Tamar 2000 SUPPORT Project • 2001 - launched ‘Association of RiversTrusts’ • 2004 - receiveART’s charity number • 2004 - AR steps down, to leadART • 2014 - Now ‘The RiversTrust’, & still going…
- 4. The issues - droughts 76’ & 95’
- 5. The issues - eutrophication
- 6. The issues - open-cast pig mining!
- 7. The issues - high sediment loadings!
- 8. The issues – degraded, headwaters & WQ • Fertilisers & chemicals, DDT, OP’s, PCB’s, Aldrin, Dieldrin,Atrazine, Paraquat
- 9. The issues – decline of salmon
- 10. The issues – changing farming practice • Move from hay meadows - silage • Increased use of fertiliser & chemicals • Move from spring cereals - winter cereals • Introduction of maize - for livestock silage • Move from FYM - slurry based systems • Increased stocking rates & larger units • New heavy machinery
- 11. In the beginning… • 1989 - privatisation of 10 regional water authorities & formation of National RiversAuthority (until 1996 when Environment Agency) • Prior to 1994 • SouthWest Rivers Association established • Charity Commission turn down ‘Taw FisheriesTrust’ • Michael Martin – assembles working group • QC’s opinion sought • Stuart Gardiner summons Arlin Rickard!
- 13. The Chairman
- 14. The trustees • M D Martin - Chairman • The Lord Clinton • E Goldsmith • N A Grant • A G Hawken • M F Heathcoat -Amory • E J Hughes (later President) • D RW Silk • Mrs AVoss-Bark • W PTucker • & later D J Hoare, R L Constantine, Sir Simon Day • with Stuart Gardiner & Ian Cook supporting
- 15. The idea… • Scotland - influence ofTweed Foundation and later West Galloway FisheriesTrust • A fisheries trust in England? ’Taw FisheriesTrust’ • Key elements: • Applying ‘best science’ • The need to work with farmers & riparian owners • and the NRA • and theWater Company - SouthWestWater • To work at a catchment scale • To address land use and ecosystem function ‘If you look after the land, the river will look after itself’
- 16. The idea.. was a fit for ‘The Ecosystem Approach’ Managing the environment is really about managing people… Nature can usually manage itself…
- 17. The name… • Taw FisheriesTrust? • RiverTawTrust / Foundation? • SouthWest FisheriesTrust? • SouthWest RiversTrust? • West Country RiversTrust? • Westcountry RiversTrust (WRT)
- 18. The logo…
- 19. The ‘Westcountry RiversTrust’ logo
- 20. WRT launch event … Mill on the Exe - withTed Hughes • Press quote, 2.6.95 The new RiversTrust is very concerned about the enormous pressures put upon our natural water resource, from abstraction, successive drainage schemes, an often increased sediment load and pollution. Arlin Rickard, theTrust’s Director explained “All of us are water users of one form or another.We must all take responsibility for past mistakes and learn how to protect our heritage.We intend to make a real difference on the ground, acting as catalysts and co-ordinating action for change.We will be active in vital areas often starved of funds, such as helping farmers to solve the problem of diffuse pollution.”
- 21. My first task … • Find some money! • For a big project • EU Objective 5b EAGGF • Enlisted help from: • Prof Ed Maltby • Gordon Beilby • Clem Davies • Tamar 2000 was born - £1.6m over 4 years • (with ingenious co-finance package)
- 22. The people - mentors & heroes all • Stuart Gardiner - a determined administrator • Alan Hawken - constant and wise counsel • Michael Martin - inspiring and charming leader • Ted Hughes - charismatic and revered • Simon Evans - obsessive angler & fisheries biologist • Dylan Bright - a brilliant scientist • Ken Hill - gave us hope at SWW and later solid support atWRT • Ian Gregg - established theTweed Foundation & later Eden RiversTrust. First Chairman of ART • Today’sWRT bright young heroes! I salute you!
- 23. Simon Evans - gratuitous fish porn!
- 24. Simon Evans?
- 25. Education has always been central to our cause
- 26. Westcountry RiversTrust – projects the first 10 years • Tamar 2000 Project - £1.6m @50% (500 farms, 300 farm plans) • Westcountry Rivers Project - £1.1m (340 farm plans) • Community Rivers Project - with focus on education • Cornwall Rivers Project - £1.8m @ 80% (666 farm plans) • Interreg Projects… • Churchill Fellowships - from Australia (Land-care) • Angling 2000 later ‘The Angling Passport’
- 27. 23/12/2014 27 River basin planning - incorporating wetland function 1. Basin Stream order 2. Wetland HGMU’s 3. Bio-regional plan Tamar Catchment Draina 4 0 4 Kilometers Floodplain 3 Floodplain 2 Floodplain 1 Slope 5 Slope 4 Slope 3 Slope 2 Slope 1 Catchment Boundary N EW S Tamar Catchment Wetland Units
- 28. 23/12/2014 28 Targeted Bio-Regional Plan at a River Basin Scale Plymouth • Protect key wetlands, aquifers, headwaters and water supply reservoir sub-basins • Target woodland planting & areas of permanent grass • Buffer corridors for water transmission above abstraction points and to link up fragmented habitats • Restore floodplain function & flood storage capacity Deliver the land use strategy through a fully integrated sustainable river basin management plan, with agreed ecological targets Consider: environmental and ecological service provision & “downstream” costs including aquifer recharge, abstraction, water quality, flood management, biodiversity, fisheries & Recreation • Target down to sub- basin scale
- 29. Westcountry Rivers Project (Taw /Torridge) completed July 2001 The Project has been completed on time, to budget and has met or exceeded all key targets. All physical works are either completed or nearing completion. 340 [target 333] Plans were provided for 22,768 [21,666] hectares of land 59.2 km of river bank is fenced, 73.4km river corridor has been regenerated 150km main river plus a further 253km tributary river has been protected under integrated management plans 7 wetlands have been restored 79 obstructions have been removed habitat improvements have been completed at 53 sites and 41 buffer zones have been established Three reports have been produced; the BDB report, the Wetlands report, and the Economic report.
- 30. Economic Report The Economic Report has predicted that the average net direct benefit of theWRT Project to farm-based businesses within theTaw/Torridge catchment is around £2,700 per business per year, with 80% of the benefits accruing to agriculture-related activities and 13% to tourism-related activities.This is equivalent to £27,000 per farm-business over the 10-year planning horizon, or £19,924 per farm- business if the stream of costs and benefits over the planning period are discounted at 6%. Based on the total direct costs and benefits of the Project, the study estimates a benefit/cost ratio of 8.6 over the 10-year planning horizon and ratio of 6.4 if the streams of costs and benefits are discounted at 6%. This indicates that theWRTTaw/Torridge Project is highly cost efficient. If net external benefits were also quantified, the expected benefit/cost ratio would demonstrate even greater social efficiency. Wetland Report The Partnership now has a Geographical Information System including wetlands in the two catchments and has generated spatial data in a mapping exercise carried out over some 1600km2 of land.Ten wetland types have been identified in theTaw andTorridge catchments and mapped as landscape-scale functional units.Wetland is considered to have occupied originally about 28 percent of theTaw and 37 percent of theTorridge catchments. Overall historic losses of wetland from both catchments are considered to be about 75 percent.
- 31. The vital interface between the competing need for water & food… Soils… Soils… Soils
- 32. Westcountry RiversTrust - Offices WRT was launched literally from my front room at Bradford Lodge, Blisland, where it continued until 2001 when eventually we could afford offices at: • Lifton - offered by AnneVoss-Bark opposite the Arundell Arms • Exeter Street, Launceston • Rain-Charm House, Stoke Climsland • New Exeter offices recently opened
- 33. Some highlights… • Working with brilliant young people • Each project won / each project completed • Ken Hill - sorting our ‘cash-flow’ • Paul Getty - sent us a cheque for £30k • The end of the foot & mouth outbreak (2001) • Tea with Prince Charles at Endsleigh • Tony Blair invite to No 10 • Visit by: Lord Rothschild with Duchess of Devonshire & Candida Lycett-Green • Dylan’s work on genetics • Helping new rivers trusts to form & prosper • Working with our European partners
- 34. Association of RiversTrusts By 2001 there were 4 ‘rivers trusts’ operating in England;Tweed Foundation,Westcountry RiversTrust, Wye & Usk Foundation, Eden RiversTrust (later to be joined by the Ribble RiversTrust). At an informal meeting on the banks of theWye it was decided to ‘formalise’ our relationship and establish an Association of Rivers Trusts to share information, to develop and guide national policy and to help and support the development of new rivers trusts in England,Wales & NI Association of RiversTrusts (ART) was launched with a ‘sister’ body in Scotland, Rivers and FisheriesTrusts of Scotland ‘RAFTS’
- 35. Introduction toThe RiversTrust • Grassroots ‘bottom-up’ movement – ‘wet feet’ • Recognised as proven river basin ‘deliverers’ • Raising awareness and providing education
- 36. Introduction toThe RiversTrust • Grassroots ‘bottom-up’ movement – ‘wet feet’ • Recognised as proven river basin ‘deliverers’ • Raising awareness and providing education • Engaging people who own and manage resources – e.g. farmers, land & river owners, anglers, water companies… • Empowering communities to take action and local “ownership” • Forming powerful partnerships • Developed strong European links
- 37. The RiversTrust & Environment Agency • In October 2006 the EA and ART (now RT) signed a strategic Partnership Agreement to facilitate joint working • In 2012 this has been updated to a National MOU to promote local partnerships and develop projects incorporating WFD, Climate Change and DataTransfer • RT also have MOU with N Ireland EA and the Loughs Agency • RT have agreed a set of working principles with NE
- 38. RiversTrusts in England & Wales • 50+ RiversTrusts in England, • Wales (Afonydd Cymru) • & Northern Ireland • 26Trusts in Scotland - RAFTS STOP PRESS: NI news… Erne RiversTrust -announced
- 39. RiversTrusts and EA ‘ManagementCatchments’ The RiversTrust: > 250+ technical specialists > 20,000+ active volunteers Active in everyWFD River Basin District
- 40. Funds disbursed by RT to rivers trusts • 2004 - £14,682 • 2005 - £33,858 • 2006 - £44,022 • 2007 - £86,770 • 2008 - £272,347 • 2009 - £962,708 • 2010 - £1,116,418 • 2011 - £1,652, 477 • 2012 - £1,908,420 • 2013 - £934,618 • 2014 - £148,000* mid year estimate
- 41. RT/ Defra River Improvement Fund → Contributing to WFD Good Ecological Status → Eel Regulation → Habitats Directive Over 2,800* kms of rivers with improved ecological potential * source - Environment Agency GIA Master Programme
- 42. RT / Defra River Improvement Fund
- 43. RT / Defra River Improvement Fund
- 44. RT / Defra River Improvement Fund
- 45. Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) www.catchmentbasedapproach.org
- 46. CaBA Framework • Defra Policy Framework – ‘to encourage the wider adoption of an integrated CaBA to improving the quality of our water environment’ • Involving the 1st , 2nd & 3rd Sectors in partnership • Establishment of Catchment Partnership Groups • Development of Catchment Plans • Contributing toWFD 2nd cycle • Building capacity for delivery
- 49. CaBA National Support Group • AnglingTrust • Freshwater HabitatsTrust • GroundworkTrust • NationalTrust • RSPB • Salmon &Tout Association • The RiversTrust • TheWildlifeTrusts • Wildfowl andWetlandTrust • WWF • Water UK • Defra + EA, NE, CSF, FC
- 50. CaBA Activity - Catchment Plan + It’s really up to the Catchment Partnerships: • WFD • BathingWaters • Flood Risk Management • Drinking water supply • Biodiversity 2020 • Fisheries management • Wider Ecosystem Services • Climate change resilience • INNS etc
- 51. European Commission WFD Performance
- 52. Fisheries Management… Dialogue with EA & Defra on enhanced partnership working: • Wild Fisheries Review - Scotland (RAFTS & DSFB’s) • Fisheries Review -Wales (NRW role) • General Election 2015 • EA Rod Licence Income • EA target licence income 2013/4 - £22.79m • Based on sales of 1.239m licences • AT now leading on angling promotion & development
- 53. Existing rivers trust Schemes • 8 schemes (including Anan) • 325 beats • 550 km’s of river • 125 km’s in inter-changeable token schemes • 16 lakes
- 54. Back to the future? – over to Jonathan Thanks to theWestcountry RiversTrust… • A new strand of civil society • One of the fastest growing environmental movements today • Leading exponent of catchment management & Paid Ecosystem Services • Working in partnership with government and its agencies • Cost effective technical deliverers • Fisheries management specialists • European and international perspective • Soca river - Slovenia • Rio Grande - Mexico As our strap-line says; Where there’s water there’s life…
- 55. Do not lower your expectations!
- 56. Very Merry Christmas to you all!
- 57. The RiversTrust ‘the umbrella body of the rivers trust movement’ www.theriverstrust.org www.catchmentbasedapproach.org ThankYou!