Weaver Gowy Catchment Partnership
- Catchment HostGroundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside
- River Basin DistrictNorth West
- Management CatchmentWeaver Gowy
- Management Catchment ID3111
Catchment partnership vision
Our vision is that all waterbodies in the Weaver Gowy catchment to be clean and healthy, supporting abundant wildlife, valued by people and enabling sustainable economic growth. We will do this by developing a robust evidence base to identify, prioritise and address the needs of the catchment. We will work collectively to achieve outcomes that will bring about water quality improvements and manage water quantity to protect people and wildlife from the influences of climate change, floods and drought. We will engage with businesses and communities to connect people with their natural environment and enhance and promote the natural aspects of the catchment by protecting species, improving habitat and biodiversity, controlling the spread of invasive non-native species.
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
Nutrient, sediment and pesticide inputs from dairy, beef and arable farming activities
Pollution from waste water
Point source pollution and nutrient input
Physical modifications
Historic physical modifications have impacted on the natural state of the waterbodies
Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership
Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
Fragmented habitats have reduced biodiversity, enhancing and restoring habitats will promote nature recovery
Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
Poor soil quality results in reduced plant growth and potential for soil and nutrient loss which in turn pollutes waterways
Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
Pollution from storm overflows and other contaminated outfalls is impacting on water quality and community perception of water bodies
Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
Catchments are increasingly at risk from the changing climate, urgent action is needed to mitigate the risks to ecosystems and communities
Connecting communities with nature
People engaged and connected with green/blue spaces to improve their health, wellbeing and responsible interaction with the natural world
Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
A joined-up catchment wide approach is needed to develop and deliver Local Nature Recovery Strategies
Future challenges predicted by partnership
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
To go beyond water quality & biological impacts of agricultural sediment & chemical run-off prioritising catchment scale restoration of healthy fertile soils & nutrient balance
Pollution from waste water
To keep clean water out of the sewerage network via sustainable urban drainage systems, natural flood management and using nature based solutions
Pollution from towns, cities and transport
To educate, engage and promote behaviour change within local communities and business to reduce pollution entering our waterways from catchment to sea
Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency
Future challenges in 2050
- Invasive Non-native Species
- Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
- Pollution from waste water
Emerging challenges
- Pollution from waste water
- Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
- Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport
Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021
The Weaver Gowy Catchment Partnership has supported a number of farming advisory initiatives led by organisations including United Utilities, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Reaseheath College, The Mersey Forest and more recently Mersey Rivers Trust, to provide farming advise, reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture, improve water quality and farming practices. The Gowy WEG and Upper Weaver SCaMP WEG projects engaged with farmers across several catchments providing advice and guidance and funding to deliver capital interventions to address soil and nutrient loss. Projects incorporating leaky woody structures (natural flood management) have also helped to ensure numerous benefits including alleviation of downstream flood risk. As a partnership we have delivered multiple holistic, hands-on interventions in the catchment including clough woodland planting; installation of nature based solutions; riparian buffering and soft engineered log jams. Local community and business engagement has also been central to our plan and the Groundwork CLM led the ‘Love My River’ initiative, supported by the Environment Agency, to engage local residents and businesses. Citizen science, through initiatives such as the Yellow Fish, Connect Right, Outfall Safari and community sustainable drainage schemes, have helped to empower local communities to get involved and take action to prevent deterioration of their water environment.
Partnership development plans
The Weaver Gowy Catchment Partnership has an ambition to continue to develop and deliver projects that bring about integrated multiple benefits that help to deliver the 25 Year Environment Plan, tackle climate crisis and improve nature and biodiversity recovery. We want to maximise opportunities to secure finance and channelling funds into delivering better and bigger strategic blue/green initiatives.
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
- Weaver Gowy
Confident
Support development of a multi benefit integrated approach to enhance and improve Valley Brook in Crewe
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Location
- Valley Brook (Englesea Brook to Weaver)
Confident
Continuing a multi stakeholder approach to engaging and supporting our local farming community through our dedicated Agricultural Working Group
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Confident
Upper Weaver Water Friendly Farming
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Location
- Weaver Lower Weaver Upper
Less certain
A fully financed Invasive Non-native Species strategy
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage invasive non-native species
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Need to secure funding
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Less certain
Growing community sustainable drainage systems to expand and delivery of multi benefits
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Barriers to delivery
- Need to secure funding
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Less certain
Ongoing development of a robust evidence base through our dedicated online StoryMap
- Reason for measure
- Feasibility study to build commitment to deliver
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Need to secure funding
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Less certain
Tackling water quality to support protected species
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Other local funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Need to secure funding
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Less certain
Delivery of interventions to tackle contaminated runoff from highway outfalls
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Highways England Programme
- Barriers to delivery
- Need to secure funding
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Less certain
Fully Financed Fisheries and Eel Strategy
- Reason for measure
- Manage modified habitats
- Delivery mechanism
- Other Public funding
- Barriers to delivery
- Needs to secure funding
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Wider water environment
Connecting people with green and blue spaces, continued delivery of citizen science and voluntary initiatives to engage and upskill local people
- Reason for measure
- Connecting communities with nature
- Delivery mechanism
- Other philanthropic/charitable/trust funds
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Wider water environment
Working with landowners and farmers to encourage sustainable land management practices
- Reason for measure
- Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
- Delivery mechanism
- Landscape Recovery (ELMS)
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Wider water environment
Work with all of stakeholder members to support Climate Emergency local strategies
- Reason for measure
- Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
- Delivery mechanism
- Other philanthropic/charitable/trust funds
- Location
- Weaver Gowy
Catchment Partnership contributors
Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership: