Upper Lea Catchment Partnership
Catchment partnership vision
This catchment is a tapestry of unique chalk rivers, historic navigations and urban rivers, weaving amongst internationally important wetlands, flooded gravel pits and lakes, through both rural and urban settings. Our vision is to see all watercourses flowing year round with plentiful, quality water that supports its characteristic flora and fauna. Our partnerships aims to restore and maintain these ecosystems, both above and below ground, boosting the catchment's value for people and wildlife. By encouraging people to value and learn about their river, and supporting them to manage the catchment more wisely, we aim to engender a sense of stewardship and embed a water-friendly approach within communities across the catchment. This page, represents 3 partnerships; Upper Lea catchment partnership hosted by Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (H&MWT), Luton Lea which covers part of that catchment, hosted by Groundwork East, and north of the Lower Lea operational catchment hosted by H&MWT.
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
Flows and levels severely reduced by abstraction to supply growing populations with high water use
Physical modifications
Ecology and flows restricted by barriers from industrial past and urbanisation, such as culverts and weirs
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
Water quality and quantity impacted by runoff and permeability of arable land
Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership
Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
Priority chalk river and floodplain restoration, linking landscape-scale natural, semi-natural and improved habitats for wildlife and people
Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
There is widespread, chronic diffuse pollution from many sources needing more regulation; Sewage treatment works, highways and other diffuse sources
Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
Soil improvements linked to better chalk aquifer re-charge, river water quality and natural flood management benefits
Connecting communities with nature
Communities must understand their role in the water environment to help address issues, support work to improve and to use them as a resource
Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
Addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis across Hertfordshire, through reducing carbon emissions and offsetting using nature-based solutions
Achieving Net Zero including supporting a move to a low carbon economy
Aiming to meet local and national net zero targets, engaging with local authorities, businesses and communities to understand roles and take action
Future challenges predicted by partnership
Changes to the natural flow and water levels
Physical modifications
Pollution from towns, cities and transport
Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency
Future challenges in 2050
- Invasive Non-native Species
- Pollution from waste water
- Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
Emerging challenges
- Pollution from waste water
- Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
- Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport
Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021
The Upper Lea Partnership is succeeding in:
- addressing physical barriers to fish passage and delivered improvements at 10 weirs and produced detailed designs to tackle 8 weirs in the future
- improving river shape and ecology and completed 20 restoration schemes covering 18 kilometres
- enhancing wetlands for wildlife and improved 2.5 hectares of priority reedbed and fen habitats, with further work planned
- tackling Invasive Non-native Species through regular surveying and removal along 50 kilometres of riparian zone targeting Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed, floating pennywort and American mink
- developing a Resilient and Adaptive Communities Strategy to address flood risk and create associated plans for managing the River Lea through Luton
- providing catchment advice and actively engaging 26 farms, estates, fisheries, local authorities and private landowners in developing plans to improve at least 40 kilometres of river
- improving catchment hydrology by working with farmers to use cover crops over 400 hectares of land to reduce sediment runoff and increase ground water replenishment.
Partnership development plans
Our partnership intends to work more closely with lead local flood authorities and the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, so that a wider range of potential projects in urban and rural areas can be completed, including natural flood management schemes. Housing and population growth continue to pose an ongoing risk to water security in the Lea catchment and our partnership intends to build more links with planning authorities and developers to influence water-friendly urban growth. The Luton Lea Catchment Partnership is developing strong links with the new Heritage Strategy and is developing the role of the lead project for the natural heritage element. This will bring in different partners and hopefully allow us to engage with more residents and stakeholders in an imaginative way.
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
- Lee Upper
Confident
Resilient and Adaptive Communities Strategy for Luton to focus development actions
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
- Location
- Lee (from Luton to Luton Hoo Lakes)
Confident
De-culverting of sections of the river through Luton town centre
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Developer funded
- Location
- Lee (from Luton to Luton Hoo Lakes)
Confident
Weir adaptation on Lea at Hertford, Beane at Waterford, Stort at Bishop's Stortford, Rib at Bengeo
- Reason for measure
- Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
- Delivery mechanism
- WR Chalk - Chalk restoration fund
- Location
- Rib (from confluence with Quin to Lee Navigation) Stort and Navigation, B Stortford to Harlow Beane (from confluence with Stevenage Brook to Lee) Lee (from Luton Hoo Lakes to Hertford)
Confident
River Restoration capital improvements across Upper Lea - addressing physical habitat and ecology issues
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Green Recovery Challenge Fund/Challenge Fund
- Location
- Ash (from confluence with Bury Green Brook to Lee) Stort and Navigation, Harlow to Lee Rib (upper stretches, above confluence with the Quin) Lee (from Luton Hoo Lakes to Hertford)
Confident
River Restoration and INNS control - community partnership delivery
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Location
- Lee (from Luton to Luton Hoo Lakes) Ash (from Meesden to confluence with Bury Green Brook) Lee (from Luton Hoo Lakes to Hertford) Quin Rib (upper stretches, above confluence with the Quin) Mimram (Codicote Bottom to Lee) Beane (from confluence with Stevenage Brook to Lee) Stort and Navigation, Harlow to Lee Stort and Navigation, B Stortford to Harlow
Less certain
Landscape masterplan development for the lower Stort Valley, including mitigation and enhancement projects
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Developer funded
- Barriers to delivery
- S106 contribution yet to be finalised between Local Authority and Developer
- Location
- Stort and Navigation, Harlow to Lee
Less certain
Angling and Nature Conservation Programme for Upper and Lower Lea Fisheries
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Barriers to delivery
- Match funding is required to roll-out the 2 year programme
- Location
- Lea Navigation (Fieldes Weir to Enfield Lock)
Less certain
River Stort Valley Restoration Appraisal
- Reason for measure
- Feasibility study to build commitment to deliver
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Barriers to delivery
- Confirmation of EA funding to deliver feasibility study
- Location
- Stort (at Clavering) Great Hallingbury Brook Cannons Brook Stanstead Brook Stort and Bourne Brook Little Hallingbury Brook Fiddlers Brook Stort and Navigation, Harlow to Lee Stort and Navigation, B Stortford to Harlow
Less certain
Delivering Hertfordshire's Chalk River Biodiversity Bank and Riverine Local Wildlife Sites Designation
- Reason for measure
- Feasibility study to build commitment to deliver
- Delivery mechanism
- Potential future water industry programme
- Barriers to delivery
- Funding required to roll out programme across Upper Lea over a 5-year programme
- Location
- Lee Upper
Less certain
River Restoration Capital Improvements - locations currently under development
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- WR Chalk - Chalk restoration fund
- Barriers to delivery
- Funding required for detailed design for several projects, funding required for capital delivery
- Location
- Rib (from confluence with Quin to Lee Navigation) Quin Ash (from confluence with Bury Green Brook to Lee) Stort and Navigation, Harlow to Lee Rib (upper stretches, above confluence with the Quin) Mimram (Codicote Bottom to Lee) Lee (from Luton Hoo Lakes to Hertford)
Less certain
Catchment Sensitive Farming, Environmental Land Management and Landscape Recovery Schemes Delivery
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
- Barriers to delivery
- Schemes need to be confirmed and funding released to farms and land managers
- Location
- Lee Upper
Wider water environment
Chalk River Biodiversity Bank; Capital River Restoration Programme; Land Management Schemes (CSF, ELMS, Landscape Recovery)
- Reason for measure
- Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
- Delivery mechanism
- WR Chalk - Chalk restoration fund
- Location
- Lee Upper
Wider water environment
Roll out of: Catchment Sensitive Farming Scheme; Water Company Catchment Assets for Water Scheme; Landscape Recovery ELMS Programmes
- Reason for measure
- Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
- Delivery mechanism
- Potential future water industry programme
- Location
- Lee Upper
Catchment Partnership contributors
Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership: