Warwickshire Avon Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

The Warwickshire Avon is a predominantly rural catchment dominated by agriculture and pockets of woodland interspersed with large urban areas of Coventry, Leamington Spa, Stratford, Redditch, and Evesham. The partnership has broad membership and engagement from environmental charities, local authorities, landowner and community groups, individuals and statutory bodies. We welcome new members and input from anyone with an interest in the water environment. We work collaboratively to develop and deliver projects, provide advocacy and share knowledge. We aspire for the Warwickshire Avon to be a rich and diverse catchment whereby the sustainable management of natural resources is at the heart of all decision making. We will work with key stakeholders to restore, enhance and protect the catchments vital natural capital resources which will enable the catchment to be resilient to future pressures whilst delivering economic growth.

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

    Mixed agriculture including Beef, dairy and arable sources of excess nutrients and sediments

  • Physical modifications

    Historically straightened rivers and barriers limit fish passage, natural processes and river biodiversity

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

    Large and growing urban areas, combined sewer overflows, motorways and trunk road infrastructure

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    Needs to be integrated into all of our projects to maximise delivery and benefits for the environment

  • Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents

    Often think of this as an urban issue it also impacts rural areas and therefore greater partnership needed to ID and resolve issues

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    Nutrient enrichment is one of the biggest issues in the catchment, healthy soils can deliver multiple benefits

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Climate change scenario suggest the Avon catchment will suffer more droughts and flooding incidents so adaptation and resilience needed

  • Removing plastics/litter from the water environment

    Visible damage to the catchment and can be a way of engaging the public with environmental schemes

  • Connecting communities with nature

    Multiple benefits for both nature and people by connecting with nature

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency

Future challenges in 2050

  • Invasive Non-native Species
  • Pollution from waste water
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas

Emerging challenges

  • Pollution from waste water
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
  • Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

Natural flood management (NFM) projects implemented, including Shipston Flood Action Group installing 300 leaky woody structures across river Stour catchment and Upper Sherbourne Allesley NFM project , north of Coventry installing leaky woody structures and improving water infiltration via hedgerow restoration planting. There was strong volunteer activity and involvement in both. Carrant Brook working with farmers delivering soil management advice, events, biodiversity enhancement measures, pond restoration and tree planting. Black Soils Brook reinstatement on the River Arrow. Hampton Wood Meadow Wetland enhancement, reducing silt flow from tributary brook into river Avon and creation of valuable wildlife habitat and increased flood water capacity, in 2018/19. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve near Barford, Warwickshire. Guphill brook enhancement with 2 side pools, lowering banks and installing woody debris, in Coventry. Working with angling groups on the River Alne to restore riparian habitat. Development of 8 Flood Action Groups across the county, through Warwickshire County Council pathfinder project and National Flood Forum officer support. Securing National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to develop River Sherbourne Valley Living Landscape, development phase started in 2020 to identify and cost detailed projects.

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Partnership development plans

The Warwickshire Avon CaBA is working to raise the profile of the partnership and diversify the range of partners engaged, including businesses and the private sector. We want to build on existing work with community groups and extend this. The partnership has the potential to become a hub for knowledge and skills sharing, engaging communities and building robust evidence. We will develop and implement more multi-year catchment wide projects and support targeting resources to priority projects.

Partnership priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027

  • Confident

    Shipston Natural Flood Management Plus Scheme, improving flood resilience by improving infiltration & slowing the flow

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage regulated flows
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Avon Rural Rivers and Lakes

  • Confident

    Heart of England Forest Wetland Restoration - Restoring natural processes, reduce nutrient enrichment and sedimentation

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Alne - source to conf Preston Bagot Bk

  • Confident

    Carrant catchment area restoration

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
    Location
    Alne - source to conf Preston Bagot Bk

  • Confident

    Upper River Sherbourne natural flood management

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage regulated flows
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Sherbourne - source to conf R Sowe

  • Confident

    River Sherbourne Living Landscape project - Development Phase

    Reason for measure
    Feasibility study to build commitment to deliver
    Delivery mechanism
    Heritage Lottery Fund
    Location
    Sherbourne - source to conf R Sowe

  • 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
    Avon Warwickshire

  • Less certain

    Leam Catchment Restoration, to reduce run off and nutrient enrichment, improve water quality and create resilience

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure funding and build greater stakeholder and landowner engagement
    Location
    Avon Rural Rivers and Lakes

  • Less certain

    Restoring natural processes in the Arrow & Alne catchment

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure future funding, progress engagement and build evidence base to target delivery
    Location
    Avon Urban Rivers and Lakes

  • Less certain

    Coventry sustainable drainage systems, actions to reduce urban pollution

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding, partnership delivery, baseline evidence and landowner agreements
    Location
    Sowe - source to conf Breach Bk Sowe - conf Breach Bk to conf Withy Bk Sowe - conf Withy Bk to conf R Avon

  • Less certain

    Vale of Eavesham Landscape Partnership Project, improving water quality and flood resilience

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding, Partner agreements, baseline evidence and landowner agreements
    Location
    Bow Bk - Lett's Mill to Shell

  • Less certain

    Tewkesbury Nature Reserve Restoration Project

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding, Partnership agreements, Landowner agreements
    Location
    Swilgate - source to conf R Avon

  • Less certain

    Elmley Castle SSSI Dingle Pond Restoration

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding, baseline evidence, landowner agreements, partner agreements
    Location
    Elmley Castle - source to conf R Avon

Catchment Partnership contributors

Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership: