East Suffolk Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

We are working to ensure our rivers, wetlands and water resources are resilient to the changing climate and population growth, are richer in biodiversity, support a thriving economy and contribute to the wellbeing of the citizens of Suffolk. Over the next ten years, we will work as a partnership to ensure:

  • rivers and wetlands will have been restored at priority sites
  • water resources can meet human and business demands without compromising the needs of wildlife and habitats in a changing climate
  • the challenges and impacts of climate change and population growth are being addressed through innovative adaptation and mitigation initiatives
  • everyone in East Suffolk is more conscious of the pressures on the water environment in the changing climate and are actively engaged in co-operative efforts to reduce demand, reduce pollution, improve water quality and increase biodiversity.

Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust

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

    East Suffolk's free draining soil is farmed for cereals, vegetables and pigs which can cause sedimentation and pollution

  • Pollution from waste water

    Despite improvements, wastewater from rural septic tanks and public sewer outflows still pollutes our rivers

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

    Evidence has shown a predicted water deficit for the region which will impact the local environment

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    East Suffolk is one of the driest areas in the UK, enabling resilience for the environment and local business is key

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    The area is largely rural with high levels of agriculture, soil and nutrient management is critical to protect our rivers

  • Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents

    The area contains two AONB and river quality must reflect the importance of the landscape

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    Supporting nature in a largely rural and agricultural environment is key to nature recovery in East Suffolk

  • Improved bathing waters (including inland)

    The region has many bathing waters and it is important that their quality is of the highest standard

  • Removing plastics/litter from the water environment

    Managing plastics will help reduce harm to the wider environment and the various multiple food chains

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    Pollution from agriculture is a major cause of poor water quality and habitat degradation, which seriously impact our rivers

  • Pollution from waste water

    Improvements to waste water asset management and reductions in CSO's will improve water quality for wildlife and recreational participation

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

    Evidence has shown a predicted major future water deficit for the region caused by climate change and regional growth, which is likely to impact the local environment

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

  • Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
  • Pollution from waste water
  • Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

The partnership has undertaken a number of improvement works to rivers in the catchment. Several projects including tree planting and in-channel improvements, fencing, livestock management, INNS control (Himalayan balsam control and Mink Control) and removing barriers to fish movement were completed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency and Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust on the Rivers Alde, Ore, Blyth, Deben and Gipping. The development of the Felixstowe Hydrocycle (Managed Aquifer Recharge), which was initiated following the EU funded Interreg Topsoil programme trail at Broxtead, is exploring managed aquifer recharge and also the capture and storage of river water, otherwise lost to sea, for agricultural use. The Water Management Alliance are working in partnership with regulatory and local authorities and communities to deliver a multi-beneficial flood scheme at Benacre. Our partners Suffolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group developed a water sensitive farming project to reduce diffuse pollution, East Suffolk Water Abstractors Group, Sustainable Water Solutions undertook a project involving heat maps, which was further supported by the Rivers Trust, Water Resources East and Environment Agency in the Water For Tomorrow Project, which aims to identify and inform water users of water resource shortages in East Suffolk. Groundwork East have continued their focus on the Yellow Fish project to reduce surface water pollution.

Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust

Partnership development plans

We want to build on our successes with more partnership initiatives and projects to concentrate on the challenges and priorities in the catchment. We seek to strengthen and extend our relationships and develop an updated partnership action plan which is actively used and reported against. This includes sharing information on project outcomes with the wider partnership so these can be collated, reported and publicised.

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
    Suffolk East

  • Confident

    Develop more cohesion in the partnership by sharing project data on rural and agricultural catchments

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Voluntary initiatives
    Location
    Suffolk East

  • Confident

    To work with local authorities, environmental groups and landowner on highlighting the predicted changes to water availability in the region

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage abstractions
    Delivery mechanism
    Voluntary initiatives
    Location
    DEBEN

  • Confident

    Continue to progress Natural Flood Management works throughout the priority sites and catchment

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    Grant giving trusts and businesses
    Location
    Deben (u/s Brandeston Bridge)

  • Confident

    Improve in channel habitat in River Deben and River Gipping catchments by promoting flow and habitat diversity

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Deben (Brandeston Bridge - Melton)

  • Confident

    Working in Partnership to manage INNS and nuisance species throughout the East Suffolk Region

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage invasive non-native species
    Delivery mechanism
    Grant giving trusts and businesses
    Location
    Rattlesden River (u/s confluence with Gt. Finborough) Rattlesden River (d/s Gt. Finborough) Ore

  • Less certain

    Continue existing and develop new trials and projects to address water resource issues and abstraction reform

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage abstractions
    Delivery mechanism
    Potential future water industry programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Lack of resources needs to be addressed by more funding
    Location
    Suffolk East

  • Less certain

    Removal of barriers to passage of fish and other species throughout the catchment

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding, consents and landowner commitment
    Location
    Suffolk East

  • Less certain

    Work with partners and landowners to address issues of diffuse pollution and water quality throughout the catchment

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
    Barriers to delivery
    Improved working with landowners and incentives through e.g. ELM
    Location
    Suffolk East

  • Less certain

    Raise awareness of sustainable river management to prevent damage to rivers and floodplain habitats

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    Voluntary initiatives
    Barriers to delivery
    Resources and more partnership working and improved understanding with land managers
    Location
    Suffolk East

  • Less certain

    Identify and tackle priority sites where invasive non native species are impacting our native species and damaging our river diversity

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage invasive non-native species
    Delivery mechanism
    Nature Recovery Network
    Barriers to delivery
    Need to improve surveying, monitoring, voluntary initiatives and more resources
    Location
    Suffolk East

  • Less certain

    Identify and implement opportunities for riparian tree planting throughout the catchment

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    More resources, better incentives and cooperation from land owners
    Location
    Suffolk East

Catchment Partnership contributors

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