Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

A thriving river with a catchment abundant in wildlife, providing a better quality environment for people to live, work and visit. This ambitious vision is only achievable with the collaboration of partners and the people of the catchment. Through consultation with partners and stakeholders, we have developed five key aims in order to succeed in our vision:

  • improve water level management, reducing flood risk and preserving water resources
  • secure better soil conservation and water quality
  • create extensive habitat connectivity and species resilience
  • ensure good partnership governance and develop a robust evidence base
  • ensure a resilient catchment through community engagement and promoting integrated, sustainable land management which benefits the rural economy.We aim to take an integrated, whole catchment approach to resolving the environmental issues in the Derwent catchment and, where possible, scale up local initiatives to apply to the whole catchment.

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

    Intensive drainage has modified the catchment leading to a severe loss of riparian and wetland habitat

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    A largely rural catchment is impacted by agricultural diffuse pollution

  • Invasive Non-native Species

    Invasive non-native species are prevalent across the catchment, including along all the River Derwent Site of Special Scientific Interest

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity

    Management and defragmentation from source to confluence of over 21 SSSI units and priority species, invasive non-native species are a threat

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    Sediment is causing failure to SSSI, management and reduction will be through multiple approaches to restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

  • Connecting communities with nature

    It is a strategic aim of the partnership to engage with communities through citizen science, volunteering and education work

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Drought, flood and water abstraction are significant pressures, management of these includes natural flood management and using natural processes

  • Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams

    We have chalk streams, limestone rivers, wetland, upland and coastal habitats in the catchment, protecting and restoring them is a priority

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    We will ensure strong representation of the water environment through collaborating with catchment partners and linking with environment policies

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

  • Invasive Non-native Species

Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency

Future challenges in 2050

  • Invasive Non-native Species
  • Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
  • Physical Modifications

Emerging challenges

  • Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
  • Physical Modifications
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

Established in 2016, Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership is a partnership of 17 organisations overseeing a diverse range of projects across the catchment. Our collaborative delivery group works to promote the partnership, identify projects and funding opportunities and deliver improvements. Our Board provides strategic advice, guiding direction of Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership. Partner organisations provide core funding and time to support partnership and project development. Outcomes include:

  • catchment-wide strategy for Invasive Non-native Species and completed 140 km of giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed control
  • installed 560 natural flood management measures in the Upper Derwent
  • carried out over 45 km of sediment walkover surveys, collecting data and providing grants and advice to land managers to implement sediment reduction measures
  • restored 3.15 hectares of wetland habitat in the Derwent SSSI, vital for wading birds
  • restored 1.6 hectares designated moorland habitat, helping reduce erosion and limit sediment runoff
  • worked creatively with resources to get the best for the catchment, engaging with volunteers to achieve 885 hours of conservation work
  • collaborated with over 160 land managers
  • contributed £246,000 to the local economy through employing local staff, contractors and sourcing local materials
  • for every £1 contributed by partners, an additional £6.24 has been brought in for project delivery.

Partnership development plans

We want a collaborative, ambitious and productive partnership, one which drives and ensures positive, sustainable change. We want to become a core mechanism for completing and engaging on outcomes across the catchment. We would like to establish multi-year core funding though the Catchment Based Approach and partners. This valuable support would enable us to build capacity and resources through collaborative working and focused fundraising to increase successful outcomes on the ground.

Partnership priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027

  • Confident

    Continue to implement our catchment wide Invasive non-native species control strategy each year

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage invasive non-native species
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire Derwent Upper Yorkshire Derwent Lower Yorkshire Rye

  • Confident

    Continue to work with land managers, in target areas, to advise and offer funding for sediment reduction measures

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire Derwent Upper Yorkshire Derwent Lower Yorkshire Rye

  • Confident

    Feasibility, walkovers and projects focused on agricultural diffuse pollution and moorland restoration (Upper Derwent)

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Derwent Upper Yorkshire

  • Confident

    Install and monitor natural flood management interventions

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Location
    Derwent Upper Yorkshire

  • Confident

    Continue to manage and enhance the River Derwent SSSI

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire Derwent Lower Yorkshire

  • Less certain

    Re-meander, de-channelise or connect the river with its floodplain

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding availability, obtaining permits, willingness of landowners, ecological constraints
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire Derwent Upper Yorkshire Derwent Lower Yorkshire Rye

  • Less certain

    Improve 30 percent of the catchment by 2030 as part of the Derwent Nature Recovery Network

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Willing landowners, depends on shape of Environmental Land Management scheme
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire Derwent Upper Yorkshire Derwent Lower Yorkshire Rye

  • Less certain

    Enhance, protect and create habitat for key species, water vole/white-clawed crayfish/lamprey/tansy beetle

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding availability, obtaining permits, finding sites, willing landowners
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire Derwent Upper Yorkshire Derwent Lower Yorkshire Rye

  • Less certain

    Investigate reinforcing or reintroducing species such as corncrake, burbot and European eel

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding availability, obtaining permits, finding sites, willing landowners
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire Derwent Upper Yorkshire Derwent Lower Yorkshire Rye

  • Wider water environment

    Derwent Chalk stream restoration will address physical modification, water quality and poor habitat availability for Derwent chalk streams

    Reason for measure
    Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
    Delivery mechanism
    WR Chalk - Chalk restoration fund
    Location
    Derwent Middle Yorkshire

  • Wider water environment

    Derwent Species Recovery Programme will improve habitat availability and connectivity for scarce, endangered and priority species

    Reason for measure
    Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
    Delivery mechanism
    Confirmed water industry national environment programme 2020-2025
    Location
    Derwent Humber

Catchment Partnership contributors

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