Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

To create and protect a healthy and wildlife-rich water environment within the Derbyshire Derwent catchment, that will bring social, well-being and economic benefits to all.

Jack Perks

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

    Sediment and nutrients derived from agriculture runoff continue to impact wildlife and water quality catchment-wide

  • Pollution from waste water

    Excess phosphate and detritus from combined sewer overflows continue to reduce water quality

  • Physical modifications

    Obstructions to fish passage are present throughout the catchment - many redundant, but some with cultural importance

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Encourage practices that build resilient catchments through a whole system approach to nature based solutions and natural flood management

  • Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity

    Enhance, connect, and protect new and existing areas for nature to support wildlife, biodiversity and habitat

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    A joined-up catchment wide approach to delivering river basin management plan objectives

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    Working with landowners on improving soil quality with appropriate land drainage, livestock and tillage regimes that work with natural processes

  • Connecting communities with nature

    Increasing community engagement e.g. River Ecclesbourne Project

  • Achieving Net Zero including supporting a move to a low carbon economy

    Support solutions that contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change by achieving net/absolute zero carbon

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Invasive Non-native Species

    Climate change is creating new opportunities for invasive non-native species to establish and spread, tackling them is vital to protect our environment, biodiversity and economy

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

    Restoring natural flows and removing weirs/dams, where possible, increasing species connectivity and allows rivers to have greater function and resilience

  • Pollution from waste water

    Pollution from waste water has a significant impact on our rivers, addressing this issue will not only greatly improve our rivers but could unmask other sources of pollution

Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency

Future challenges in 2050

  • Invasive Non-native Species
  • Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
  • Pollution from waste water

Emerging challenges

  • Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
  • Pollution from abandoned mines

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

Our partners have been successful in completing a number of ambitious projects across the catchment to help improve water quality, habitat and peoples enjoyment of the River Derwent. This starts high in the Dark Peak, where the Moors For The Future Partnership are restoring the uplands by gully blocking and sphagnum planting to help these degraded habitats retain more water. The Peak District National Park Authority and Natural England are working with farmers in the White Peak to reduce diffuse agricultural pollution and preserving the waters across the River Wye SSSI. Lower down the catchment, the Trent Rivers Trust are working with communities and businesses to inspire them about their local watercourses and aid in their restoration. Organisations such as Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the Wild Trout Trust are working on habitat improvements and increasing connectivity across the river system. At a catchment scale the Derwent Forest Connections project is underway, with the ambition to connect woodland and wetland habitats across the catchment to mitigate the impacts of climate change and support Nature's recovery.

Moors For The Future Partnership

Partnership development plans

We would like the trust to continue to develop through the partners and be able to deliver landscape scale long-term projects through multiple partners and priorities.

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
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Confident

    Increased catchment scale natural flood management to address the increasing flood risk

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage regulated flows
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Confident

    Complete feasibility reports, and outline designs, for all priority barriers across the catchment

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Confident

    Assess the feasibility of beaver introductions within the catchment to help restore natural processes

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    Grant giving trusts and businesses
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Confident

    Establish the Living Derwent Forest, linking the National Forest to the Northern Forest

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Green Recovery Challenge Fund/Challenge Fund
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Less certain

    Address point source to enable the Derwent to achieve bathing water quality status

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage point source discharges
    Delivery mechanism
    Potential future water industry programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Greater future investment required from water companies
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Less certain

    Establish a programme for the eradication of invasive species from the catchment

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage invasive non-native species
    Delivery mechanism
    Grant giving trusts and businesses
    Barriers to delivery
    A concerted effort locally and nationwide and a long-term funding stream
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Wider water environment

    Encourage practices that build resilient catchments through a whole system approach to nature based solutions and natural flood management

    Reason for measure
    Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
    Delivery mechanism
    Green Recovery Challenge Fund/Challenge Fund
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Wider water environment

    Enhance, connect, and protect new and existing areas for nature to support wildlife, biodiversity and habitat

    Reason for measure
    Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
    Delivery mechanism
    Green Recovery Challenge Fund/Challenge Fund
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

  • Wider water environment

    Ensure a joined-up catchment wide approach to delivering river basin management plan objectives

    Reason for measure
    Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Derwent Derbyshire

Catchment Partnership contributors

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