Northern Becks Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

The partnership's vision is to protect, enhance and raise awareness of Lincolnshire's important chalk streams and blow wells. The partnership aims to advance the education of the public in the recovery, conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment.

LCSP

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

    Modifications and management have led to damage of aquatic and riparian species and habitat

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

    Abstraction has resulted in low flows and loss of current-loving species due to flow stress

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    Run-off from agricultural land has damaged the chalk stream habitats and sensitive species, and reduced water quality

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

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

    Chalk Streams are a nationally important habitat, we need to address pressures on chalk streams in the Northern Becks area

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    We need to better demonstrate the role of chalk streams and blow wells in the national network of wildlife rich places

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    We need to work with landowners to reduce the impact of excess sedimentation on the fragile chalk streams

  • Connecting communities with nature

    We need to empower people to take ownership of their water environment, benefitting their physical and mental health

  • Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity

    We need to improve the resilience of this ecological network of chalk streams and blow wells so that they are better protected

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

    We need to look at how we balance supporting a low carbon economy without impacting on chalk streams

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

    Demands on our water are increasing from industry, drinking water supply and the growth agenda, low flows impact significantly on the chalk streams in our area

  • Invasive Non-native Species

    The spread of invasive non-native species in our catchment is increasing, the management of these species is crucial for the protection of our watercourses

  • Physical modifications

    Alternative solutions are needed for the management and maintenance of our watercourses to ensure they are resilient to climate change

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 waste water
  • Physical Modifications

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

The Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Trust (LCST) are proud to be the new hosts of the Northern Becks Catchment Partnership. We have been working alongside the Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Partnership (LCSP) to understand the issues and opportunities in the area. We have successfully recruited a volunteer who will be writing our Catchment Plan. The Trust and LCSP continue to work hard to engage communities with their water environment. We have encouraged and supported community organisations to start local RiverCare groups and supported existing groups. These groups focus on a number of activities which include invasive non-native species control. We have developed multiple education projects to develop relationships between children and their local watercourses. We continue to develop our volunteer community. We have a conservation group of volunteers who give their time to improve the water environment by vegetation management and invasive non-native species control. Working with our partners we have developed a potential river restoration project for the River Freshney through Grimsby. It is hoped that this will be delivered within the third cycle, subject to funding. We have supported the LCSP and Blow wells working group in delivering a Natural England grant to survey 12 blow well sites for suitable for Local Geological Site status of which there are now an additional 4 and 2 sites retained their status. Additionally 17 volunteers received specialist training to regularly monitor the state of blow wells. A work party of volunteers came together from both the LCSP and North East Lincolnshire Council to clear the overgrown vegetation at the blow well in Kingston Gardens.

Partnership development plans

Working with the LCSP we aim to encourage more communities and individuals to engage with their water environment and take ownership of their rivers, streams and blow wells. We want to create a legacy from the partnership. In order to do this we need more long term, sustainable funding and additional resource to support this work. We want to encourage more resource to collect data and evidence to identify the appropriate measures for each waterbody.

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 abstractions
    Delivery mechanism
    Confirmed water industry national environment programme 2020-2025
    Location
    Louth Grimsby and Ancholme

  • Less certain

    Measures to address current challenges and encourage resilience to future challenges on the River Freshney

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Additional funding is needed to deliver the restoration and community engagement project
    Location
    Laceby Beck / River Freshney Catchment (to N Sea)

  • Less certain

    Measures to tackle flow stress in key chalk streams particularly in areas where growth is planned

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage abstractions
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding to support river restoration work and associated project officer time
    Location
    Becks Northern

  • Less certain

    Measures to encourage ownership of our rivers, by working with communities and volunteers

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Securing additional resource needed to engage communities
    Location
    Becks Northern

  • Less certain

    Measures to restore and protect our groundwater resource and features

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Funding to support this kind of work is limited
    Location
    North Lincolnshire Chalk Unit

  • Less certain

    Measures to make space for water and encourage natural processes in our upper catchments

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Securing long term, multi-year funding to develop and deliver these schemes
    Location
    Waithe Beck lower catchment (to Tetney Lock)

Catchment Partnership contributors

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