Riverfly Conference NHM London - 17 th November 2016 Tony Bostock MIFM, CEnv, AIRTE, ASOE, Chief Executive - Severn Rivers Trust admin@severnriverstrust.com www.severnriverstrust.com 01886 888394
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 Six Year Three
We Treat Soil Like Dirt ! • 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!
Value of soil • 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. 295m 3 • So £50/tonne for replacing the substance and DISPLACED up to £120/tonne/year for loss of production. 110m 3 LOST • Total - £170 per tonne in year 1 • At 110m 3 lost X £170 = £18,768 from 1 field!
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
Large Green Dun (Ecdyonurus insignis) Yellow Mayfly (Potamanthus luteus)
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 Jean Jackson Trust www.severnriverstrust.com
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