April 2025
Words from the Chair
Despite the decidedly mixed weather, I hope that Spring is finally here! I know that this is a time when our partners and many volunteers start get out into the catchment to carry out surveys and make improvements.
I would like to draw your attention to the opportunity for help offered by the Catchment Partnership Fund, and also to the great variety of activities and learning opportunities being offered in the Events section below.
Thank you to all those people helping to organise the wide-ranging activities.
Dr Richard Cresswell MBE
Chair, Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership
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Catchment Partnership Fund Assessment Panel Approaching!
As we have mentioned in previous editions, the Catchment Partnership Fund is now continuously open for applications, with applications assessed at the first available assessment panel meeting.
The first assessment panel of the year is now fast approaching, with applications needing to be submitted by Sunday 4th May 2025 23:59 to be considered.
The second assessment panel of the year is currently scheduled for early October, with applications needing to be submitted by Monday 15th September. We are happy to discuss potential applications ahead of this.
Photo credit: Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART)
Catchment News
Macro-invertebrate monitoring in the Little Avon catchment
Credit: Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART)
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) have conducted macro-invertebrate monitoring in the Little Avon catchment, funded by the Cotswolds National Landscape and The Halpin Charitable Trust, as part of the SmartRivers Programme. Between 2020 – 2022, eleven sites were assessed to understand the baseline ecological conditions and to identify significant pressures on water quality.
Key findings include:
· Widespread chemical pollution and siltation across the Little Avon catchment.
· A negative impact on macro-invertebrate scores and river ecology following the 2022 drought.
· Poor water quality hotspots identified with high chemical stress and poor habitat conditions.
· Long-term Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) results suggesting potential pollution issues requiring further investigation.
· The upper Ozleworth Brook was found to be the only site unimpacted by SmartRivers pressures with the potential for a thriving macro-invertebrate community in cleaner conditions.
The report also offers 5 key recommendations that cover habitat restoration, landowner engagement, further targeted investigations, expanded monitoring, and continued advocacy.
Read more here.
We are Avon – Restoring our river valley together
A crowdfunding campaign has been established by We Are Avon to raise a total of £50,000 to undertake a series of actions for water, land and people including: support for Citizen Science projects, tree planting, and various community events in and around the Avon. Match funding is being provided by the Aviva Community Fund and the funding page can be found here.
We Are Avon is a place-based movement for change, aiming to protect our River Avon and regenerate the valley through community-led action.
You can read more about We Are Avon here.
Environmental projects funded across Bath and North East Somerset
Nine projects have been funded through the West of England Rural Fund, across Bath and North East Somerset, to improve communities’ access to local green and blue spaces. Key project improvements include: new information boards, the creation of walking/cycling maps, and a new footbridge.
Read more about these projects here.
Events
Country Comes To Town – Chippenham
This free, family-friendly celebration of nature will be taking place on 17th May in Monkton Park, Chippenham. This will be a fantastic opportunity to connect with wildlife and learn about the important conservation work carried out by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. There will be arts and crafts, wellness activities and the chance to meet farm animals!
Read more about this event here.
The Festival of Nature 2025
From 7th-15th of June, the Natural History Consortium will be running their annual Festival of Nature. This is the UK’s largest free celebration of the natural world and the theme for this year will be water. There will be a week of both in-person and online events for all ages, with film screenings, guest appearances, arts and crafts, experiments, screenings, walks, talks, tours, exhibitions, music and much more.
The Programme of Events for this has now been announced and can be found here.
Keep updated on this event here.
This event was part funded by the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership Fund. You can read more about the Fund here.
Water Literacy courses
The Water Literacy Programme is offering free places to the first 2000 people to sign up to their water literacy course. Being water literate is about understanding why water is scarce, how badly this impacts the environment and crucially, how we can give water the value it deserves by changing our behaviours- with the course covering all these areas.
Book your place here.
The Big River Watch – UK and Ireland
The next biannual Big River Watch will be taking place from the 25th April to 1st May 2025 across the UK and Ireland. Get involved by downloading the Big River Watch app, choosing a riverside location to observe for 15 minutes, completing your survey and then uploading your findings.
Find out how to participate here.
Into The Light – Heal Somerset
Heal Somerset are holding a two-day gathering from the 6th – 7th June bringing together people to share the positive environmental work they are undertaking. There will be speakers covering a variety of topics with the key theme for each day being:
Day 1 – Species surveys and the role of interventions in rewilding.
Day 2 – The impact that rewilding has on our wildlife along with the benefits it brings for us and our wellbeing; both as individuals and communities.
Find more information about this event here.
Wider News
The Corry Review
An independent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape has been undertaken by Dan Corry to determine whether it is fit for purpose in driving both economic growth and nature recovery. The Review’s findings have now been published and can be found here.
The review highlights the following five strategic themes to improve the regulatory system, all supported by a series of recommendations.
· Focus on outcomes, scale and proportionality, with constrained discretion.
· Untangle and tidy ‘green tape’ to ensure process-light and adaptive regulation.
· Deliver a fair and consistent ‘thin green line’ on regulatory compliance, with trusted partners earning autonomy.
· Unlock private sector green finance to support nature restoration whilst better targeting public sector finance.
· Enable regulators to be more digital, more real-time and more innovative with partners.
Defra will be working with Natural England and the Government to deliver the recommendations made in the Review.
Read more here.
The Citizen Science Technical Advisory Framework
As a part of their project in supporting Citizen Science, the Environment Agency (EA) have developed a framework, to support well-designed citizen science monitoring initiatives. This will help to ensure that data collected is robust, accessible, and meaningful.
It sets out eight key principles, which are shown in the diagram of the framework above. You can read more about this new framework here.
The Key Citizen Science Framework Principles
Image credit: Environment Agency (EA)
Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) Monitoring and Evaluation Report 2023/24
Actions and activities from Catchment Partnerships in 2023/24
Image credit: Catchment Based Approach (CaBA)
The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) have published their annual report, providing detail on the activities carried out by all Catchment Partnerships in England between April 2023 to March 2024.
The infographic on the left provides a spotlight on some of the key reported metrics. The report also includes various case studies covering themes such as Natural Flood Management, phosphorus reduction, wetland creation, water quality improvements, habitat creation, and citizen science engagement. BACP feed into this report each year through our annual CaBA reporting, and this helps to ensure continued funding from Defra and Government for Catchment Partnerships.
Find the report here.
What is eDNA?
'8 point 9' have released an article explaining the basis of eDNA; an increasingly popular monitoring method used in nature conservation and restoration. They describe eDNA to be genetic material (DNA fragments), that is shed by organisms into their surrounding environment through skin cells, mucus, saliva, faeces, urine, or decomposing tissue. eDNA can be collected from water, soil or the air and is typically used to detect the presence of different species.
Find out more here.
2024 Storm Overflow Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) Annual Returns
The Environment Agency (EA) have published data showing the frequency and duration of storm overflow spills in England during 2024. The article, which can be found here, provides national level statistics, explains the EA’s role in implementing permits for storm overflow operation, and the purpose of Event Duration Monitoring (EDM).
The full EDM data set from 2020-2024 can be found here.
UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025
The UK Government has set priorities for the sustainable management of pests, weeds and diseases. These priorities aim to support agricultural productivity and protect the environment and human health.
The plan contains three main objectives:
· Encourage uptake of integrated pest management.
· Establish timetables and targets for the reduction of the use of pesticides.
· Strengthen compliance to ensure safety and improved environmental outcome.
Find more details about this document here.