Loddon

Catchment partnership vision

Our vision is for a healthy, functioning, wildlife rich aquatic environment within the River Loddon catchment, valued and cared for by everyone now and in the future. The Loddon Catchment Partnership is hosted by South East Rivers Trust and supported by a steering group, consisting of key organisations. These key organisations represent a varied range of interests to co-ordinate work to secure environmental improvements, together with a wider stakeholder group of local organisations, parish council, landowners and individuals. The demand on our water resources in the Loddon catchment is high. It provides clean drinking water, supports local agriculture and business, recreational use and providing a home for wildlife. By working together, to share knowledge and deliver actions, we can protect and enhance the health of the catchment's freshwater ecosystems into the future.

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

    Fish passage severely restricted by barriers from past use of water mills

  • Pollution from waste water

    Effluent from sewage works discharges across the catchment

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    Sediment pollution from farming

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

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

    The upper tributaries are globally rare chalk streams and require protection and restoration

  • Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents

    Intermittent discharges have a large impact, dilution is low in the upper reaches and there are many discharges due to level of urban development

  • Connecting communities with nature

    Local communities have the ability to enhance and protect their local environment if impowered to do so

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Climate change will impact low flows and increase the frequency of poor quality intermittent discharges

  • Removing plastics/litter from the water environment

    Urban centres are the source of plastic pollution, rivers receptors and pathway to the oceans

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    Diffuse pollution is impacting the river and needs to be reduced

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

    The upper reaches of Loddon tributaries are globally rare chalk stream habitats, future development may increase water resource pressures

  • Pollution from waste water

    Current STW discharges are a significant pressure on the catchment and their impact is likely to increase due to future development

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

    Some parts of the catchment are heavily impacted by urban issues and these are likely to increase due to planned development

Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency

Future challenges in 2050

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

Emerging challenges

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

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

The Loddon Catchment Partnership is very active and benefits from highly engaged and knowledgeable partners such as the Loddon Fisheries and Conservation Consultative, University of Reading, Loddon Observatory, local NGOs, Environment Agency, Blackwater Valley Partnership, Thames Water, Basingstoke Canal Authority, Hampshire County Council, local angling clubs and residents and local authorities. ‘Loddon Rivers Week’ is a long standing and highly successful annual engagement event that delivers river enhancement activities through volunteers, bringing partner organisations and community members together to improve the river.

Partnership development plans

Following coaching and support from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the Loddon Catchment Partnership is aiming to become more sustainably funded in the future. The partnership would like to raise its profile to achieve this and develop a business model that provides more long term and secure funding to extend its work, aiming to strengthen ties with the communities, the private sector, landowners and local authorities, to secure long term viability and deliver our vision.

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
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Confirmed water industry national environment programme 2020-2025
    Location
    Hart (Crondall to Elvetham)

  • Confident

    Emm Brook- bypass channel to allow fish passage, habitat improvement work enhancing the Riverside Park

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    EU funding
    Location
    Emm Brook

  • Confident

    Blackwater Restoration

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Blackwater (Aldershot to Cove Brook confluence at Hawley)

  • Confident

    Fleet Natural Flood Management - to reduce flood risk

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Fleet Brook

  • Confident

    Barkham Brook restoration project - fish passage at a series of weirs to reconnect with the Loddon

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Barkham Brook

  • Less certain

    Blackwater Valley Nature Enhancement Project - reconnecting to floodplain, habitat enhancement, urban pollution control

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding
    Location
    Blackwater (Aldershot to Cove Brook confluence at Hawley) Blackwater (Bramshill to River Loddon confluence at Swallowfield) Blackwater (Hawley to Whitewater confluence at Bramshill)

  • Less certain

    Pettys Brook - restoration of brook, remove concrete lining and improve marginal habitat

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    None identified
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure funding
    Location
    Loddon (Basingstoke to River Lyde confluence at Hartley Wespall)

  • Less certain

    Fleet Pond - habitat improvement

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure funding
    Location
    Fleet Pond

  • Less certain

    Lyde - improving the fishery and fish habitat throughout the River Lyde and Upper Loddon

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure funding
    Location
    Lyde

  • Less certain

    Mill Corner natural flood management - reduce flood risk and sediment runoff by using NFM measures

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure funding
    Location
    Whitewater

  • Less certain

    Crondall natural flood management -reduce flood risk and capture sediment run off into the upper Hart at Crondall

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage regulated flows
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Secure funding
    Location
    Hart (Crondall to Elvetham)

  • Wider water environment

    Landscape Recovery

    Reason for measure
    Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
    Delivery mechanism
    Landscape Recovery (ELMS)
    Location
    Loddon

  • Wider water environment

    Water Industry Investment

    Reason for measure
    Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
    Delivery mechanism
    Potential future water industry programme
    Location
    Loddon

  • Wider water environment

    Community Engagement Project

    Reason for measure
    Connecting communities with nature
    Delivery mechanism
    Other Public funding
    Location
    Loddon

Catchment Partnership contributors

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