East Hampshire Catchment Partnership
- Catchment HostThe Groundwork South Trust
- River Basin DistrictSouth East
- Management CatchmentEast Hampshire
- Management Catchment ID3034
Catchment partnership vision
As the East Hampshire Catchment Partnership we will inspire businesses, organisations, landowners, residents and community groups to come together and take an active role in creating a resilient and sustainable water environment that meets the present and future needs of local communities and helps nature to recover and advance
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
Changes to the natural flow and water levels
Barriers and modifications prevent the river from behaving in a natural way and limit fish passage
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
Nitrate run off from agriculture impacts on the Solent
Invasive Non-native Species
Invasive Non-native species are reducing the biodiversity of the catchment
Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership
Connecting communities with nature
Engaging communities is key to the EHCP vision, they are key stakeholders in what is a heavily urban catchment
Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
Conserving and creating connected habitats will be essential for threatened species as development pressures increase
Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
Roads and building run-off is a major pressure, especially in East Hants which is a very urban catchment
Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
Soils are key to retaining water and reducing rural diffuse pollution which affects local harbours and rivers
Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
Ensure species and habitats have the quality and quantity of space to survive and continue
Improved shellfish waters
5 shellfish waters in East Hants, only 1 passes, plan needed for better water quality, invasive non-native species and over-fishing
Future challenges predicted by partnership
Changes to the natural flow and water levels
Pollution from towns, cities and transport
Invasive Non-native Species
Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency
Future challenges in 2050
- Invasive Non-native Species
- Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
- Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport
Emerging challenges
- Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
- Pollution from waste water
- Physical Modifications
Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021
The partnership is a diverse organisation with members from the public, private and voluntary sectors, covering a range of specialisms and focus areas across both land and coastal waterbodies of East Hampshire. Our diverse work has seen a variety of highlights including:
- Bringing together partners with very different roles, who otherwise would not have a forum to share views and understand the extent of the changing challenges facing the water environment. It has also supported practical improvements
- Removal of non natives plants on the Lavant Stream, Potwell Tributary, Main River Hamble, by volunteers and community groups
- Developing a community water quality monitoring programme, including Outfall Safari in Havant with ZSL, Southern Water, community groups
- Developing an approach and scoping out a plan for natural flood management with local landowner and community group (actual scheme not yet delivered)
- Creating reefs at multiple points on the Hamble estuary to provide a refuge for oysters and reduce fragmentation of saltmarsh
- Supporting improvements to fish passage and phosphate run-off reduction on the Upper Hamble
- Supporting development of ecological enhancements to sea defences in Portsmouth and Langstone Harbours.
Partnership development plans
Work together to maximise opportunities for funding - cross organisation work based around priority areas for action over the next few years. Formalising, enhancing and reporting upon the findings from our excellent links to community and resident groups who provide 'on the ground' intelligence to provide greater evidence for areas of concern
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
- Meon Upper Hamble
Confident
Community water quality monitoring scheme and Outfall Safari (mis-connections) work
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Location
- Hermitage Stream
Confident
Managing invasive species - predominantly Himalayan balsam
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage invasive non-native species
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Location
- Meon Hermitage Stream Potwell Trib Upper Hamble
Confident
Work with coastal partnerships & Marine Management Organisation to improve integrated catchment and coastal management
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Location
- East Hampshire Rivers
Confident
Work to restore Solent oysters
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Location
- East Hampshire Rivers
Confident
Upper Hamble urban diffuse pollution and water quality improvement project
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Location
- Upper Hamble
Less certain
Lavant Stream fish pass installation and channel improvements
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- Developer funded
- Barriers to delivery
- Funding derived from Community Infrastructure Levy not fully secured
- Location
- East Hampshire Rivers
Less certain
Trial work to reduce diffuse nitrate and phosphate pollution
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Support from University of Portsmouth
- Location
- Wallington below Southwick Hermitage Stream
Less certain
Havant Thicket Reservoir creation
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage abstractions
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Project funded by Portsmouth Water - success depending on mitigation costs
- Location
- Hermitage Stream Lavant (Hants)
Less certain
Work to restore Solent mudflats, saltmarsh and seagrass
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Partnership approach in development
- Location
- East Hampshire Rivers
Less certain
Preventing plastic pollution
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Support from University of Portsmouth
- Location
- East Hampshire
Less certain
Water vole reintroduction on the river Meon, and restoration on Hamble
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Developer funded
- Barriers to delivery
- Requires input from South Downs National Park
- Location
- Meon
Wider water environment
Involve communities in practical measures: WQ testing, NNIS removal, water use reduction, plastics
- Reason for measure
- Connecting communities with nature
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Location
- East Hampshire Rivers
Wider water environment
Work with local authorities and other stakeholders to establish habitat connectivity across boundaries
- Reason for measure
- Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
- Delivery mechanism
- Nature Recovery Network
- Location
- East Hampshire Rivers
Wider water environment
Work with water companies and related stakeholders to reduce pollution and re-use water where possible
- Reason for measure
- Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
- Delivery mechanism
- Potential future water industry programme
- Location
- East Hampshire Rivers
Catchment Partnership contributors
Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership:
- Portsmouth Water
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
- Groundwork - East Hampshire
- Wild Trout Trust
- Gosport Borough Council
- Natural England
- Southern Water
- Environment Agency
- Forestry Commission
- Winchester City Council
- East Hampshire District Council
- Eastleigh Borough Council
- Marine Management Organisation
- Solent Forum
- Havant Borough Council
- Portsmouth & District Angling Society
- CLA
- Coastal Partners
- Clean Water Partnership
- Friends of the Hermitage Stream
- Bishop Waltham North Pond Conservation Group
- University of Portsmouth
- Groundwork - South of England
- Fareham Borough Council
- Langstone Harbour Board
- South Downs National Park