Northumberland Rivers Catchment Partnership
- Catchment HostThe Rivers Trust
- River Basin DistrictNorthumbria
- Management CatchmentNorthumberland Rivers
- Management Catchment ID3067
Catchment partnership vision
We see resilient rivers with salmon, otters and kingfishers. There is clean gravel on the river-bed and clean sand on the beaches where communities play together. We hear songbirds, curlews and buzzing insects. Our native wildlife is flourishing and is protected from the impacts of invasive species. Our thriving rural and coastal communities value and respect our natural world. We work together to ensure our land, water and fisheries are managed sustainably, doing all we can to protect and improve these assets while making a living. Our groundwater is clean and protected from rising mine-water. Everyone is aware of the changing climate, and we all do what we can to build resilience, adapt and reduce our carbon footprint. We feel lucky to live and visit here, knowing that exploring our beautiful rivers, lakes, streams and coast is easy for all. We communicate, volunteer and share. We work together across catchments, coasts and nature recovery networks to make our rivers and coast the best they can be, resilient to changing climates and valued by our communities. Because we owe it to future generations.
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 agriculture and rural areas
Elevated levels of nutrients and sediment are impacting both rivers and the marine environment, causing eutrophication and algal growth
Invasive Non-native Species
We have one of England’s few native white clawed crayfish populations, it is vital we protect this and other native species in our rivers and coasts
Physical modifications
Historic flood management and land drainage along with urbanisation in the form of road crossings and weirs have degraded our rivers and estuaries
Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership
Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Building on the Wansbeck catchment Nature Recovery Network pilot we will align nature recovery with our catchment plans, delivering together
Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
Our rural communities rely on nature, we need to build resilience and adaptability into all land management, farming and fisheries practices
Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
Soil health and nature are the heart of a healthy water environment, to enable our rivers to thrive we must sustain good soil health and wildlife
Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
There are range of protected habitats and species across Northumberland as a partnership we must support nature recovery in these designated areas
Connecting communities with nature
Communities are more connected with nature than ever, we need to harness this enthusiasm and encourage communities to support our rivers and coast
Improved shellfish waters
We need to understand and address those sources of pollution impacting Northumberland's shellfish waters
Future challenges predicted by partnership
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
Invasive Non-native Species
Changes to the natural flow and water levels
Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency
Future challenges in 2050
- Invasive Non-native Species
- Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
- Physical Modifications
Emerging challenges
- Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
- Physical Modifications
- Pollution from waste water
Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021
Tackling rural diffuse pollution: We continue to work with farmers and landowners in the Aln, Wansbeck and Coquet. Partners have created wetlands and planting trees mitigating rural impacts, improving habitats and helping with climate change. The Living Hart Burn project at Wallington National Trust has protected the river corridor and increased the size of buffer strips led to a marked improvement in ecology within the Hart Burn. Native White-clawed crayfish: An active group has developed a strategy and are delivering practical measures including surveying, awareness raising, Signal crayfish barriers, ark site stocking and investigations into bio-technology measures. This links with regional invasives work across catchments and coast. Tackling physical modifications: We have started projects looking at weir removal (Lower Coquet), river restoration (Wansbeck and Pont) and the removal of redundant historical coastal flood defences as well as managed realignment (Northumberland Coast and Coquet Estuary). We are creating dozens of fish and eel passes helping wildlife migrating past weirs and barriers. Nature Recovery: The Wansbeck catchment was one of the Nature Recovery Network pilots and will drive nature recovery in the Wansbeck and beyond. Coastal links: We have worked with the Berwickshire & Northumberland Marine Nature Partnership who have developed a Draft Action Plan. A cross-border 6 million Euro EU Life project along the North Northumberland Coast will deliver river restoration, reed bed and wetland creation and the provision of land and water advice to the farming community. Community: Much of this is supported by excellent volunteer groups across the region.
Partnership development plans
In 2022, we will revise and update our Catchment Plan and share our successes and ambitions through a new storymap and web presence. We will continue with focus groups on our priority issues and embrace new collaborative opportunities, strengthening our existing links between our catchment partnerships, coastal partnerships and nature recovery networks. We will find ways to make the partnership more valuable to partners, encourage greater collaboration and look to secure more funding for action through diverse routes. We will learn together and grow our engagement to reach more partners with diverse interests, supporting healthy, wild and resilient rivers and coasts in Northumberland for everyone.
Partnership priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027
Confident
A Green Recovery at Wallington with a focus on nature restoration, nature based solutions and connecting people with nature
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Green Recovery Challenge Fund/Challenge Fund
- Location
- Hart Burn from Source to Delf Burn
Confident
Coquet Vision 2020, improving fish and eel passage on the Coquet side streams and parts of Coquet
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- Green Recovery Challenge Fund/Challenge Fund
- Location
- Hazon Burn Catchment (trib of Coquet)
Confident
Native White Clawed Crayfish Conservation, the project is delivering the strategic aims of the Northumberland Crayfish Conservation Strategy
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage invasive non-native species
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Location
- Northumberland Rivers
Confident
North Northumberland Coast project will return areas of intertidal habitat lost through historic sea defence construction
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
- Location
- BLYTH (N) ALN North Low from Berrington Burn to N Sea
Confident
Catch My Drift project will improve in-channel morphology and water quality as well as creating and enhancing water dependent habitats
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Location
- Northumberland Rivers
Confident
LIFE WADER project will improve the intertidal and marine habitats of the Northumberland Coast with a focus on nutrients and water quality
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- EU funding
- Location
- Holy Island & Budle Bay
Less certain
Working with Nature in Coquetdale, delivery of a landscape scale project to address rural land management pressures on the water environment
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
- Barriers to delivery
- Ministry of Defence unexploded ordnance and rural land management practices
- Location
- Coquet Upper
Less certain
Lower Coquet Weir Removal, progress options for weir removal following the Lower Coquet Weirs Feasibility Study
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- EU funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Public perception around weir removal and available funding sources
- Location
- Coquet Lower
Less certain
Invasive non-native species (INNS) work, supported by the North East INNS Strategy
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage invasive non-native species
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Barriers to delivery
- Securing funding for action is difficult, better mapping of issues
- Location
- Northumberland Rivers
Less certain
Pont Restoration Part 1 - Creation of a mosaic of water dependent habitats and river restoration
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- Flood and Coastal Innovation and Resilience Fund
- Barriers to delivery
- Project planning is not finalised
- Location
- Pont
Less certain
Pont Restoration Part 2, restore natural river processes around Pont Ends, improving riparian habitat and recreating wet pastures for wading birds
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
- Barriers to delivery
- Buy in from the agricultural community
- Location
- Pont
Less certain
Collaborative approach to identify nature based solutions in the North-East Hub for the next Water Industry National Environment Programme
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Confirmed water industry national environment programme 2020-2025
- Barriers to delivery
- Industry commitment for catchment schemes and nature based solutions in WINEP
- Location
- Northumberland Rivers
Wider water environment
Bluespace improvements to publicly accessible water environments targeting biodiversity, water quality and recreational facilities
- Reason for measure
- Connecting communities with nature
- Delivery mechanism
- Potential future water industry programme
- Location
- Northumberland Rivers
Wider water environment
Draft Action Plan for the Durham Heritage Coast and Berwickshire & Northumberland Marine Nature Partnerships
- Reason for measure
- Connecting communities with nature
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Location
- Northumbria TraC
Catchment Partnership contributors
Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership:
- Northumbrian Water
- Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Beauty
- The Rivers Trust
- Northumberland Rivers Trust
- Northumberland Inshore Fisheries Advisory Committee
- Northumberland Zoo
- Northumberland National Park
- Northumberland Wildlife Trust
- Berwickshire & Northumberland Marine Nature Partnership
- Northumberland County Council
- National Trust
- Natural England