Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels
- Catchment HostSouth East Rivers Trust
- River Basin DistrictSouth East
- Management CatchmentCuckmere and Pevensey Levels
- Management Catchment ID3022
Catchment partnership vision
The Partnership aims to create a resilient catchment from source to sea in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis by delivering projects that tackle multiple issues and provide multiple benefits. These include natural flood management measures, improving water quality and quantity, increasing connectivity, and protecting, restoring and creating valuable wildlife habitats.
Related websites
Find out more about the activities and ambitions of this catchment partnership and how you can get involved to help improve the water environment in the catchment.
Catchment challenges
Current challenges identified by partnership
Pollution from waste water
Waste water, private discharges and storm overflows impact on water quality
Physical modifications
Fish passage and habitats severely impacted by barriers for land drainage and flood defence
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
Diffuse pollution from rural activities impact on water quality
Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership
Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
Improved bathing waters (including inland)
Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
Connecting communities with nature
Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Future challenges predicted by partnership
Physical modifications
Fish passage and geomorphology of the catchment impacted by past human intervention
Invasive Non-native Species
Removing species such as pennywort enables us to restore valuable wildlife habitats and create a resilient catchment
Pollution from waste water
Improving water quality within the catchment
Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency
Future challenges in 2050
- Physical Modifications
- Invasive Non-native Species
- Pollution from waste water
Emerging challenges
- Pollution from waste water
- Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
- Physical Modifications
Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021
Since 2016, a natural flood management project on the Powdermill Stream in the Combe sub-catchment has successfully installed leaky woody structures. This has now been extended to the rest of the sub-catchment and the Upper Cuckmere with a 3 year funded project. The Prowater Project, and monitoring at Friston Forest and Lullington Heath, is focused on habitat restoration. The Environmental Land Management pilot works with local landowners to shape the future of agriculture based on local priorities. To improve fish passage, low cost baffles have been installed at 3 gauging weirs on the Cuckmere. To help mitigate development and growth within the catchment draining to the heavily designated Pevensey Levels, a 3 year project to inform planning policy around the use and design of sustainable drainage systems is underway. A separate project is focused on the removal of floating pennywort in the Levels to tackle Invasive Non-native Species. Feasibility has begun on improving fish passage and geomorphology at Crowhurst weir on the Combe Haven. Design has begun for a managed realignment of the west bank of the Cuckmere estuary which will reconnect Chyngton Brooks to create inter-tidal habitat. A pennywort weevil trial has begun on the Pevensey Levels and its success is being monitored by CABI and the EA.
Partnership development plans
We will continue to work in partnership across sectors to develop landscape scale projects and help inform policy which can improve biodiversity, provide opportunities for carbon sequestration and work with natural processes to create a resilient environment for future generations.
Partnership priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027
Confident
Enhancement/no deterioration measures in 2020-2025 Water Industry National Environment Programme
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage point source discharges
- Delivery mechanism
- Confirmed water industry national environment programme 2020-2025
- Location
- Pevensey
Confident
Natural flood management in the Combe Haven and Upper Cuckmere sub catchments
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage regulated flows
- Delivery mechanism
- EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
- Location
- Combe Haven Cuckmere Upper
Confident
Natural flood management in Little Common and Polegate sub catchments
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage regulated flows
- Delivery mechanism
- None identified
- Location
- Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels
Confident
Prowater Project - catchment management and habitat restoration at Friston Forest and Lullington Heath
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- EU funding
- Location
- Pevensey
Confident
Pevensey - Windpump delivery for enhanced water availability to Wrenham and Bill Gut
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage regulated flows
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Location
- Pevensey
Confident
Pevensey sustainable drainage project - inform local planning policy development to reduce draining to Pevensey Levels
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Location
- Pevensey
Less certain
Crowhurst weir - improved fish passage and geomorphology
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- None identified
- Barriers to delivery
- Secure funding
- Location
- Combe Haven
Less certain
Environment Land Management Pilot - led by catchment partnership targeting local priorities
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
- Barriers to delivery
- Future of ELM not rolled out yet
- Location
- Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels
Less certain
Future floating pennywort clearance within riparian ditches within the Pevensey Levels SAC
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage invasive non-native species
- Delivery mechanism
- None identified
- Barriers to delivery
- Future funding stream to continue project not confirmed
- Location
- Pevensey
Less certain
Sessingham weir removal
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- None identified
- Barriers to delivery
- Final options and future funding stream not agreed/confirmed
- Location
- Cuckmere Upper
Wider water environment
Waterweek
- Reason for measure
- Connecting communities with nature
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Location
- Cuckmere Upper
Catchment Partnership contributors
Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership: