ANNUAL REVIEW 2017

Taking positive action for people, places and wildlife in the Trent Catchment

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We have come a long way since 2012. Then, the Trust employed just two half time staff. Now we are a team of seven full and part time river and environmental specialists. Five years ago we were delivering just six projects. At the end of 2017, we were managing 25 projects throughout the Trent catchment.The year started with some great news as we received confirmation we had secured our first Esmee Fairbairn grant funding for an exciting project called ‘The River Starts Here’ based around the Alfreton Brook and tributaries in the eastern corner of the Amber catchment on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border.In late winter, we completed the first phase of the River Eye restoration scheme. Although the project was fraught with challenges, the end result is stunning, as sections of the

river have been transformed with the addition of in-channel gravels and woody debris, bank re-contouring and tree planting.The summer saw us working with Severn Trent volunteers which enabled us to clear 500 metres of river bank of invasive Himalayan balsam and enhance over 8000m2 of riverside habitat.The Trust hosted the Rivers Trust Autumn Conference in November on the banks of the River Trent. The sell-out conference focused on Natural Flood Management (NFM) and was hailed as a great success by attendees and partners alike. We are very grateful to our funders and partners, our supporters, staff and our board of trustees who have all helped to make 2017 another fantastic year for the Trust. This support enables us to make a real difference for rivers and wildlife in the Trent catchment.

WELCOME FROM THE DIRECTOR

Welcome to our second Annual Review to mark the end of 2017. This has been a significant year for the Trent Rivers Trust (TRT) as it marks the five year anniversary of the establishment of a new Trust team and structure.

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● The River Eye restoration phase 1 was completed and included ten bank re-profiles, nine brushwood mattresses, seven bundles of large woody material, 475 trees planted and four places where the river bank was pushed into the river.

● We hosted our first Autumn Rivers Trust Conference focusing on NFM which was attended by over 100 guests from the UK and Europe.

● TRT completed seven bunds, three leaky dams and three cross drains in the Southwell and Soar catchments, marking the commencement of the NFM measures in these catchments.

● We recorded our best year for involving volunteers in our work on rivers – 180 people volunteered for TRT, clocking up a total of 800 volunteer hours.

● We welcomed a second Catchment Officer funded by Severn Trent to work with farmers in the Staunton Harold and Cropston catchments.

● We provided advice and support to 120 farmers in over 20 river and stream catchments.

● We successfully delivered over 25 discrete projects in the Lower Trent, the Soar, the Mease, the Upper Trent, the Dove and the Derwent catchments.

HIGHLIGHTS

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The Trust employs a dedicated Agriculture and Water Manager, Lesley Sharpe, who has over 15 years of experience of working with farmers. In 2017, Lesley worked on 19 rivers and streams and provided advice and support to 49 farmers.Lesley invests time learning about the catchment by researching relevant data, consulting farmers and walking the river so she fully understands the issues at stake before identifying suitable remedial measures or giving advice.Lesley has played a key part in liaising with farmers to bring NFM schemes to fruition in the Willow Brook catchment and on land around Southwell. In the summer of 2017, together with the Lower Trent catchment partnership and involving the community of Lowdham, Lesley has secured funding for several NFM interventions around the village.

In July 2017, Louise Richmond commenced work in the Staunton Harold and Cropston catchments as TRT’s second Catchment Officer funded by Severn Trent. Louise is already working with 24 farmers and will be encouraging more to consider alternatives to the use of metaldehyde slug pellets such as the ‘Sluxx’ pellets containing ferric phosphate as the active ingredient. She will also be promoting best practice slug control including cultural methods.Adrian Rochford continues in his role as Tittesworth Catchment Officer and the project hosted a very successful farm event in 2017 focusing on soil biology attended by over 25 farmers.By supporting farmers with bespoke solutions to environmental challenges on their farms, Adrian has built trust throughout the farming community.

WORKING WITH FARMERS

TRT has established itself as the ‘go to’ organisation for building constructive relationships with farmers to achieve improvements to the water environment.

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1 & 2) Tittesworth farmers hear about improving soil health

3) Farmers in the Lower Trent hear about soil structure and grassland management

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In 2017, InterREG funding for the European partnership project called ‘FRAMES’ (flood-resilient-areas-multi-layer-safety-approach) was confirmed. The project involves two other Rivers Trusts in England in partnership with organisations and communities in four European countries – the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Germany.FRAMES brings together organisations working on similar projects so they can learn from each other and cooperate internationally to raise awareness of issues relating to flooding and flood protection. TRT has already made a start on works in the Southwell area, the focus of our FRAMES delivery. Our Agriculture and Water Manager has built up good relations with farmers in the Potwell Dyke catchment and three bunds, the first NFM

interventions for the project were constructed on land adjacent to Potwell Dyke in November 2017.In urban environments, small scale flood management features known as Sustainable Draininage Systems or ‘SuDS’ can make a difference by slowing the flow of water from impermeable surfaces to water courses. Careful design can facilitate other benefits such as improving water quality and providing a high quality recreational space.TRT has worked with the UK’s best urban SuDS designers in 2017 to create innovative plans for SuDS features in the Mease catchment. We are now seeking funding to turn these plans into reality at sites in Measham and Ashby.

FLOOD MANAGEMENT

Despite the relatively benign weather in 2017, flood risk remains at the top of TRT’s agenda. Our work spans therural and the urban environment, and the solutions weare designing and implementing reflect an innovativeapproach to the problem.

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1) The Trent Rivers Trust team ‘slowing the flow’

2 Farmland can store water during flood events

3) Measham SuDS scheme

The River Starts Here project is entirely focused around the local community, both residents and businesses. Situated around former mining villages in Huthwaite, South Normanton and Alfreton, it is targeting the Alfreton Brook and Oakerthorpe Brook to try and improve the water quality in these streams and to enhance the riverside habitat for wildlife and people.

Activities in 2017 included:● 10 action days of habitat

improvement work with community and business volunteers.

● Over 85 individuals involved in environmental activities.

● Completion of an ‘outfall safari’ across these brooks - this is a method of working with volunteers to map and record the impact of polluted surface water outfalls in a river.

● The preparation of a design with a community group for a 700m2 Community Wildlife Area ‘daylighting’ a culvert to restore a water course and create habitat for water voles.

The relationships built with residents and business people will enable the project to achieve even more evidence gathering and habitat improvement works next year.We continue to work with volunteer groups to tackle invasive non-native species, particularly Himalayan balsam. Together, we cleared 17.2km (10.7 miles) of river bank and 3.4ha (8.4 acres) of meadow and woodland of this plant from the River Mease catchment and a further 2.4km (1.5 miles) of river and 2.5ha (1.1a) of meadow was cleared along Coppice Brook in the Derwent catchment.

WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES

We believe engaging the local community is vital to ensure long term benefits from river improvement projects. By persuading local people of the value of their stream or river, they are more likely to care for it and to enhance it for future generations.

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In each catchment, we have adopted a bespoke approach which is best suited to the character of the river and the communities, organisationsand businesses who have an interest in it. In the Lower Trent, TRT has set up four ‘rural hubs’ to enable local groups to become actively involved in the partnership. The geographical nature of the catchment, stretching from the Humber and Scunthorpe in the north to the Belvoir vale in the south means trying to find a central point for groups to meet was unlikely to be practical. Local meetings and activities means everyone has the chance to become involved and issues and opportunities will not be missed.In the Soar, TRT employed a Soar Community Project Officer, Felicity Roos. Before the project concluded in May 2017 Felicity worked with schools across Leicester to deliver a number of SuDS projects in play areas, as well as raising awareness offlood risk.

Felicity helped to direct a play, called ‘The Riverbank’. It was performed by drama students at Leicester College in spring 2017 to five primary schools and it was enjoyed by around 1000 students. The play is about a girl, Willow Brook, and her imaginary friend Otter, who help a mad scientist defeat the Evil Genius, and discover his formula to clean the river.In the Mease, the catchment partnership has continued to work closely with the farming community to address water quality issues in the river,which is designated asa Special Area ofConservation.

CATCHMENT PARTNERSHIPS

Catchment Partnerships are another way of engaging with local people over the issues which matter to them. TRT is hosting the partnerships on the Lower Trent and Erewash, the River Mease, the Soar and the Dove.

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The conference was linked to the European FRAMES project so it was an opportunity to show our European partners some of the exciting work we have been doing to reduce flood risk around Measham and Leicester using rural and urban SuDS.

The conference heard from international experts, policy makers and practitioners and included lively debate on topics ranging from modelling and monitoring to community action on flooding and there was also a popular session demonstrating a number of interactive, practical tools showing the effects of SuDS, river dredging and realignment on flood risk.

AUTUMN CONFERENCE

TRT joined forces with the Rivers Trust, our national umbrella body, to host its first Rivers Trust conference, focusing on NFM. The event booked out just 48 hours after it was announced and the venue, the Priest House Hotel, situated on the banks of the River Trent, was full to capacity with river enthusiasts.

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● Launching our new website early in the new year.

● Hosting an exciting SuDS conference in the Mease catchment aimed at developers, designers and planners with an interest in flood risk.

● Making progress on the FRAMES project so we can continue to work closely with the residents of Southwell and farmers in the surrounding catchment to address flood risk.

● Starting work on the Soar NFM project to learn more about opportunities for NFM interventions in the catchment and to understand the concerns and ambitions of stakeholders in the area and how they may wish to be involved.

Most of all, we look to continue to work closely with our partners and all those with an interest in the wellbeing of the RiverTrent and its tributariesto make a difference forthe water environment.

LOOKING AHEAD

2018 promises to be an equally exciting year for the Trust.We are looking forward to:

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THANK YOU

The Trent Rivers Trust could not have achieved this without the support of its volunteers, partners, the Board of Trustees and of course the staff team.

design by: www.geniecreative.co.uk

Finally, a big thank you to our funders, without whom none of this good work could have taken place. They are:Environment AgencyNatural England Severn TrentEsmee FairbairnTesco Bags of HelpDerwent WiseTrent Regional Flood and Coastal CommitteeInterREG FRAMESDefraAmber Valley Borough CouncilNottinghamshire County CouncilNorth West Leicestershire District CouncilStaffordshire County CouncilLady Hind TrustPrince Albert Angling SocietyOur individual donors – thank you for your continued support

If you want to know more about our work, please don’t hesitate to contact us:director@trentriverstrust.org

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