Alt Crossens Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

We are aiming to ensure cooperative and considerate water management that works towards a healthy water environment, which is rich in wildlife and a real community asset that supports economic growth and health and wellbeing. The combination of agricultural and urban pollution affecting the water quality across the catchment is a key challenge with the landscape being approximately 50% urban and 50% rural. Our objectives are to: 1 Take an evidence-based approach 2 Deliver Integrated water management by making space for water 3 Support Opportunities for using the water environment 4 Engage the community 5 Deliver Cleaner and healthier waterbodies 6 Maintain and enhance the natural aspects of our catchment. These are in order to:

  • prevent deterioration of waterbodies
  • move waterbodies towards good ecological potential
  • help manage and reduce flood risk
  • protect species and habitats
  • control and prevent the spread of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS)
  • understand and respond to the needs of our communities
  • support a thriving local economy in both rural and urban areas.

Mersey 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

    Diffuse pollution from agriculture and septic tanks are polluting watercourses in rural areas

  • Physical modifications

    Straightened channels, culverts, barriers to fish and eels, impoundments, abstraction impact and pumped catchment

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

    Pollution from road run-off and misconnections are causing pollution to watercourses in urban areas

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Connecting communities with nature

    Need to raise awareness and encourage communities to value and appreciate and benefit from their local water environment

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    Need to protect and enhance the waterbodies in the catchment from urban and rural diffuse pollution from industry, misconnections, soil loss, runoff

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Water resource challenge and flood risk both occur at different times in this priority catchment for water resource

  • Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents

    With a densely populated urban area and complex network, the ambition for upgrading infrastructure plus misconnections poses investment challenges

  • Support levelling up, growth and jobs

    We need enhanced opportunities for access, sustainable transport, recreation, local tourism and local businesses linked to the water environment

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    Loss of lowland peat contributes to carbon emissions and loss of soil in general causes silting of watercourses

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Physical modifications

    Straightened channels, culverts, barriers to fish and eels also impoundment and abstraction impact in a pumped catchment

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

    Pollution from road run-off and misconnections will still cause pollution to watercourses in urban areas

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    Diffuse pollution from agriculture and septic tanks will continue polluting watercourses in rural areas

Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency

Future challenges in 2050

  • Invasive Non-native Species
  • Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport
  • Pollution from waste water

Emerging challenges

  • Physical Modifications
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
  • Pollution from waste water

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

We are using an evidence-based approach, such as:

  • natural flood management (NFM) risk mapping and modelling with Lead Local Flood Authorities, leading to NFM project implementation
  • scientific water quality data and measurements and Citizen Science 'River Guardian' monitoring
  • natural capital mapping.Project delivery:
  • wetland creation of the Upper Alt in Croxteth Park
  • facilitating a Water Friendly Farming group to improve water quality and quantity with farmers in this priority catchment for water resources
  • Alt Meadows river restoration
  • Lunt Meadows wetland restoration.Partnership working:
  • facilitated the 'water theme' for Liverpool Year of the Environment 2019, engaging wider stakeholders
  • catchment plans distributed at the Environment Summit event in Liverpool
  • using story maps to utilise evidence, identify needs and prioritise
  • developed a more robust focus on programme of measures and project development
  • river restoration conference held in Liverpool with case studies from across catchment
  • partners presented on Alt Crossens at Chartered Institution Water and Environmental Management national annual conference
  • working with the Liverpool City Region Flood and Coastal Erosion Management Partnership on NFM for flood related issues.

Mersey Rivers Trust

Partnership development plans

Improve evidence-based information such as natural capital data to build ‘story maps’. These will help plan local improvements, use funding opportunities and develop collaborative projects. Highlight the importance of the water environment in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Extend partnerships: using sub-catchment groups to work with local communities and Liverpool City Region on climate change, natural flood management and using the new Environmental Land Management scheme to develop future projects.

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
    Alt and Crossens

  • Confident

    Catchment Sensitive Farming

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Current Rural Development Programme
    Location
    Alt and Crossens

  • Confident

    Water Quality in the Upper Alt

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Alt

  • Confident

    Demonstration farm trials for novel irrigation techniques

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage abstractions
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Crossens System

  • Less certain

    Implement a range of nature based solutions to address urban diffuse pollution from highway outfalls

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Highways England Programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding applied for but is not yet secured
    Location
    Alt and Crossens

  • Less certain

    Improve land management practices by using capital interventions and farm involvement

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
    Barriers to delivery
    Not yet applied for funding
    Location
    Alt and Crossens

  • Less certain

    Local nature recovery using habitat banking

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF)
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding applied for is not yet secured
    Location
    Alt

  • Less certain

    Facilitate engagement with farmers and landowners on water friendly farming practices and water resource management

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage regulated flows
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure funding
    Location
    Alt and Crossens

  • Less certain

    Reduce flood risk to Maghull residents using NFM techniques

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage regulated flows
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Feasibility and options explored, need permissions in place and funding to be secured
    Location
    Alt US Bull Bridge

  • Wider water environment

    Implement programme of measures for improving the River Alt from source to sea with nature based solutions

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

  • Wider water environment

    Implement Natural Flood Management opportunities

    Reason for measure
    Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Location
    Alt and Crossens

  • Wider water environment

    Farm engagement for Water Friendly Farming

    Reason for measure
    Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Alt and Crossens

Catchment Partnership contributors

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