Middle Dee Catchment Partnership
Catchment partnership vision
Our vision is that the Middle Dee catchment is clean, healthy, full of wildlife, enjoyed by people and enables sustainable economic growth. We will bring together relevant stakeholders to improve the water environment for the benefit of wildlife and people. We will achieve this by:
- working together and with others to understand the issues
- sharing information, resources, learning and evidence
- working together and with others to tackle difficult issues
- working collaboratively to ensure work on the ground is coordinated.
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
A largely rural catchment so agriculture has the largest impact
Physical modifications
The Middle Dee has a long history of over management to improve land drainage
Pollution from towns, cities and transport
Drainage from several large towns and major roads are impacting the water environment
Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership
Nature Recovery, protect and enhance rare habitats including chalk streams
The Dee is a Special Area of Conservation and home to rare habitats and currently in an unfavourable condition
Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
The Dee is a SSSI and SAC for its unique wildlife and habitats, currently these designations are in unfavourable condition
Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents
Poorly designed drainage is a direct pathway for pollution into the catchment
Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
Healthy soils are vital for the health of the River Dee
Removing plastics/litter from the water environment
Plastic and other pollutants are a growing threat to the wildlife of the River Dee
Connecting communities with nature
The health of the River Dee is reliant on the support and work of its local communities
Future challenges predicted by partnership
Changes to the natural flow and water levels
Increased demand for abstraction and changing weather patterns will increase environmental impact
Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
The River Dee is a largely agricultural catchment, pollution from agriculture and rural areas is likely to be an ongoing problem
Invasive Non-native Species
Expansion of invasive species of both new and existing invasive non-native species pose a threat to the River Dee
Future challenges predicted by Environment Agency
Future challenges in 2050
- Invasive Non-native Species
- Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
- Pollution from waste water
Emerging challenges
- Pollution from waste water
- Changes to the Natural Flow and Water Levels
- Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021
The Emral, Wych and Worthernbury Agriculture Pollution project ran from 2016 to 2020 and has successfully worked with landowners to reduce sources of pollution coming from farms. The Middle Dee Catchment Partnership has supported two large projects which will make significant improvements to the health of the River Dee. The Dee Water Environment Grant project which tackled invasive species in the catchment and agricultural pollution across the English Dee and the LIFE Dee river project which is a large multi-million pound cross-border project to restore populations of SAC species in the river led by Natural Resources Wales. The partnership has also supported many of the projects delivered by individual partners including the Dee Invasive species project, Alyn habitat restoration work, Dee Dairy Fund and Wych natural flood management project. To help with improved project planning we have created an online map which demonstrates where and when these projects have taken place defining the catchment management plan.
Welsh Dee Trust
Partnership development plans
During 2020 the partnership revised their terms of reference and developed working groups that bring together stakeholders to tackle problems cost effectively and efficiently. The focus is to continue to work collaboratively and seek funding from various avenues, to share resources and help improve the water environment for the benefit of wildlife and people. A priority is to maximise benefits and project integration. The partnership is currently delivering work focused on nature recovery in the Aldford Brook catchment via its Environmental Measures for the Aldford Brook project as well as establishing specific working groups on citizen science and agricultural pollution.
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
- Ceiriog Worthenbury Dee Lower Chester Weir to Ceiriog
Confident
Further strengthen the Agricultural Working Group to share best practice and change behaviours
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Location
- Ceiriog Worthenbury Dee Lower Chester Weir to Ceiriog
Confident
Deliver river and habitat restoration measures to improve ecological resilience to low flows on Aldford Brook
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage regulated flows
- Delivery mechanism
- Confirmed water industry national environment programme 2020-2025
- Location
- Aldford Brook
Confident
INNS control work on target water bodies
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage invasive non-native species
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Location
- Wych Upper (Worthenbury Upper) Bradley Brook Aldford Brook
Less certain
Develop a farm best practice Soils Group that will help to target action to protect the natural capital
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Barriers to delivery
- Multiyear funding needed
- Location
- Ceiriog Worthenbury Dee Lower Chester Weir to Ceiriog
Less certain
Deliver farmyard pollution interventions to tackle rural diffuse pollution
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Grant giving trusts and businesses
- Barriers to delivery
- Multiyear funding needed
- Location
- Ceiriog Worthenbury Dee Lower Chester Weir to Ceiriog
Less certain
Citizen Science Working Group
- Reason for measure
- Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
- Delivery mechanism
- Voluntary initiatives
- Barriers to delivery
- Multiyear funding needed
- Location
- Ceiriog Worthenbury Dee Lower Chester Weir to Ceiriog
Wider water environment
Work to improve nature recovery through delivery of the Aldford Brook project which will mitigate the impact of low flows
- Reason for measure
- Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
- Delivery mechanism
- Confirmed water industry national environment programme 2020-2025
- Location
- Aldford Brook
Wider water environment
Bring together advisors working on agricultural pollution via a working group
- Reason for measure
- Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Location
- Ceiriog Worthenbury Dee Lower Chester Weir to Ceiriog
Wider water environment
Bring together organisations undertaking citizen science via a working group
- Reason for measure
- Connecting communities with nature
- Delivery mechanism
- WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
- Location
- Ceiriog Worthenbury Dee Lower Chester Weir to Ceiriog
Catchment Partnership contributors
Partners involved in the creation of this page and the actions of the partnership: