Broadland Catchment Partnership
- Catchment HostNorfolk Rivers Trust
- River Basin DistrictAnglian
- Management CatchmentBroadland Rivers
- Management Catchment ID3008
Catchment partnership vision
The nature and value of water, and the benefits that the catchment provides, are widely recognised and understood. Those who manage the land to provide these benefits are adequately rewarded. Agriculture and water treatment are sustainable and organisations involved with the management of land and water work together effectively. We have met the challenging targets to improve water quality, water supply and flood protection. Widespread understanding and support has motivated many people to change their practices to make a positive contribution. Rivers function more naturally. The catchment supports a range of habitats and native species and is becoming adapted to climate change. Local action brings multiple benefits and wildlife dependent on water is thriving and able to move around. Communities embrace and celebrate waterbodies in their local environment whilst their enthusiasm and knowledge is sought in decision-making. Recreational use of water has increased in a sustainable way.
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
Physical modifications
Historic watercourse deepening/straightening/impounding with low lying drained and flood defended land
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
Arable agriculture is major land use, additional nutrient input from livestock on the marshes and erosion of road verges
Pollution from waste water
Small sewage treatment works without Phosphate removal, septic tanks and domestic treatment plants common in rural areas
Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership
Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
Chalk streams are an important habitat in the catchment, and protecting aquatic habitats is part of the catchment management plan
Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
There are small drainage systems that are near/at capacity causing non-emergency spill events, limits need to reflect drinking water protection plans
Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
In a catchment with a large amount of agriculture nutrient balance is key to achieving water quality targets
Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
Water quantity is an increasing challenge in the catchment, and the impacts of flood events and droughts will be increased by climate change
Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Water quality and quantity will form a key part of this so it will be important for the catchment partnership to engage
Removing plastics/litter from the water environment
This is becoming an increasing issue which engages local residents and river users, it also opens up opportunities for engagement and citizen science
Future challenges predicted by partnership
Changes to the natural flow and water levels
Drought and flooding are both big challenges in the catchment, and both of these issues are increasingly impacted by climate change
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
Arable agriculture is major land use, additional nutrient input from livestock on the marshes and erosion of road verges
Pollution from waste water
Small sewage treatment works without Phosphate removal, septic tanks and domestic treatment plants common in rural areas
Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency
Future challenges in 2050
- Invasive Non-native Species
- Physical Modifications
- Pollution from waste water
Emerging challenges
- Physical Modifications
- Pollution from waste water
- Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport
Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021
As Broadland Catchment Partnership we hold regular meetings with a wide range of stakeholders to share knowledge, ideas and facilitate collaboration. We have shared multiple ecosystem services and run-off modelling through a web map to locate interventions for multiple benefits and collaborative projects. We have reduced arable run-off using silt traps through a series of projects and the Water Sensitive Farming project has been promoting and funding: compaction remediation, tramline management, cover crops, reduced tillage, controlled traffic, undersowing, mechanical weeding and regenerative agriculture. We formed the Wensum Catchment Partnership, supported by an officer to facilitate river habitat improvement and diffuse pollution reduction, who have established a citizen science water quality testing pilot run through Norfolk Rivers Trust. We are working closely with The Upper Wensum Cluster Farm Group (Wensum Farmers) who have established an innovative water quality testing programme to measure their reduction in leaching and run-off. The Waveney Catchment Partnership has been working with volunteers, agronomists and farmers to improve land management, river and riparian habitats, and hay meadows working closely with Water & Woodland Farm Cluster Group, which has received funding for a project working with farmers to reduce fertiliser application and monitor runoff. We have enhanced river habitat in many of the catchments, most notably via the Upper Bure Valley (Riverlands) Partnership and undertaken Natural Flood Management at Buxton (Bure) and Worthing (Wensum). We have improved fish passage most recently on the River Tiffey (Yare).
Partnership development plans
We will build on our successes and collaborate with more stakeholders, at the strategic and local level. We are exploring new ideas and projects with people and organisations who share the same goals e.g. Water Resources East, Environmental Land Management Pilots, WWF and private companies (e.g. Coca-Cola and Tesco). We will also engage with local people through citizen science including water quality monitoring (e.g. CastCo) and through opportunities such as bathing water status (e.g. Waveney). We plan to strengthen the partnership by reaching out to local action groups e.g. Climate Friendly Flegg, South Yare Wildlife Group and Felbeck Trust. We plan to work together to identify new opportunities for funding through nutrient neutrality, biodiversity net gain and carbon financing, and bring blended finance options to the work of the partnership. We will engage with local Nature Recovery Strategies in the catchment, which may provide opportunities around water quality and quantity.
Partnership priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027
Confident
WINEP 2025-2028 (Anglian Water, Environment Agency) - investment for lower permitted P discharge concentrations 0.25mg/l
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage point source discharges
- Delivery mechanism
- Potential future water industry programme
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Confident
Water Sensitive Farming, tailored advice and funded interventions (Norfolk Rivers Trust, River Waveney Trust)
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Confident
Community awareness raising - septic tanks and domestic treatment plants (River Waveney Trust, Groundwork), Yellow Fish
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Confident
River, riparian and floodplain habitat improvement - Upper Bure (NT, WMA), Yare Valley Parkway (EA, NCC, NRT)
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Confident
Restoring shallow lakes to a clear water state - Hoveton Great Broad (EA & NE), Hickling (BA), Ranworth, Barton
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- EU funding
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Confident
River and floodplain reconnection and habitat improvements for flood risk and river basin planning (EA, WMA, NRT, BA, RWT)
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage regulated flows
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Less certain
Upper Thurne Nature Recovery Project (NRT, WMA) - sea and river overtopping and salinity mitigation
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage regulated flows
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Barriers to delivery
- Secure funding
- Location
- Bure
Less certain
Wendling Beck Exemplar Project (NRT, NWT) - Landscape scale restoration project c.2000 acres
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- Developer funded
- Barriers to delivery
- Secure funding
- Location
- Wensum
Less certain
Waveney and Wensum tributaries habitat improvement including R. Dove, R. Tat (RWT, NRT, EA)
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Secure funding
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Less certain
Floating Pennywort eradication (EA, WMA, BA)
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage invasive non-native species
- Delivery mechanism
- EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
- Barriers to delivery
- Funding
- Location
- Bure
Less certain
Fish and eel barrier removal and bypass including Yare, Tiffey and Starston Beck (EA, NRT, RWT)
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- EA asset capital investment
- Barriers to delivery
- Funding for feasibility survey and project delivery
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Less certain
Multi-use wetland creation for flood, water quality and quantity and wildlife (EA, FWAG, BA, NRT, NT, AW, WMA, NFU, RSPB)
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage regulated flows
- Delivery mechanism
- EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
- Barriers to delivery
- Capital investment, sufficient revenue payments and duration of agreements
- Location
- Broadland Rivers
Catchment Partnership contributors
Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership:
- Essex & Suffolk Water
- Natural England
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
- Norfolk Rivers Trust
- University of East Anglia (UEA)
- Anglian Water Services
- Water Management Alliance
- Norfolk Wildlife Trust
- National Trust
- Norfolk FWAG
- Environment Agency
- River Waveney Trust
- The Rivers Trust
- Broads Authority
- Country Land and Business Association
- National Farmers Union