Old Bedford and Middle Level Water Care Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

The Water Care Catchment Partnership’s vision is that all the water bodies in the catchment will:

  • be cleaner and healthier
  • support more fish, birds, and other wildlife
  • provide a more attractive amenity for people to enjoy
  • be sensitively managed by everyone whose activities affect it
  • continue to provide drainage and manage flood risk.

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

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

    Low flows cause sediment, eutrophication and low oxygen; high flows bring floods, water stagnation and SSSI damage

  • Pollution from waste water

    Phosphate from water recycling centres is increasing due to population growth this is leading to eutrophication

  • Physical modifications

    Many of our waterbodies have been shaped for conveyance and land drainage so are too wide or deep causing slow flows in summer

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    There has been a decline in suitable habitat for aquatic/fen priority species, drains were not originally built to be nature-friendly

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    This is a largely agricultural catchment which has a high economic value the peat soils are declining

  • Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents

    Solutions for the many storm overflows requires a catchment partnership collaborative approach to the water environment

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Collaborative planning is needed for new and existing development sites to increase capacity and drainage systems

  • Removing plastics/litter from the water environment

    There are increasing levels litter including plastic pollution in urban areas

  • Connecting communities with nature

    There are low levels engagement with nature in the fens, improving voluntary options could also support areas with multiple deprivation

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Changes to the natural flow and water levels

  • Pollution from waste water

  • Invasive Non-native Species

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

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

The Water Care Catchment Partnership has resolved the issue of low dissolved oxygen in the River Delph, Old Bedford which had been leading to fish kills and damage to the biodiversity of a SSSI. A feasibility report to identify and assess various solutions was commissioned and, as a result, the Environment Agency undertook a number of actions resulting in freshening flows being introduced in the summer of 2020 with no fish kills that year. This an ongoing project. The partnership gained funding to deliver the Ramsey Water Care project, investigating phosphate levels in Bury Brook, High Lode. Phosphate levels were tested upstream of the town and Oldhurst water recycling centre was identified as a major contributor to the loading. As a result future water company investment is planned. The project also ran a community engagement campaign (including a duck race attended by 300 people) from which emerged a River Care Group which has been active for 4 years. Working with the Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer, the partnership part funded and delivered 3 workshops around reducing rural diffuse pollution. The partnership was commissioned to support the development of a guide which advises internal drainage boards on how to achieve the best outcomes for the environment where water is artificially pumped.

Rachael Brown

Partnership development plans

The partnership needs to consider how best to engage with external partners who are currently absent from the group. This may involve different ways of meeting or communicating, and exploring the relevance of the partnership to their work. The partnership also needs to seek additional funding for more on the ground projects. A prioritised list of feasible projects needs to be better developed and partners will need to be encouraged to be more involved in developing funding bids.

Partnership priority actions and measures for 2022 to 2027

  • Confident

    Low dissolved oxygen on the River Delph - trialling freshening flow options at Earith Sluice

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Old Bedford River / River Delph (inc The Hundred Foot Washes)

  • Confident

    Cranbrook and Counter Drain strategy - multiple benefits at Block Fen gravel pits and nearby drains

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    EA Flood/coastal risk management programme
    Location
    Counter Drain (Sutton and Mepal IDB incl. Cranbrook Drain)

  • Confident

    Catchment Sensitive Farming support - workshops to reduce rural diffuse pollution across Middle Level

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Environment Land Management Scheme (future full-scale roll-out)
    Location
    Middle Level

  • Confident

    River Delph morphology and maintenance plans and actions: improve conveyance, improve biodiversity

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Old Bedford River / River Delph (inc The Hundred Foot Washes)

  • Confident

    Ouse Washes project; improve conveyance in the River Delph, to protect RAMSAR habitat in critical bird nesting period

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Water Environment Grant (WEG)
    Location
    Old Bedford River / River Delph (inc The Hundred Foot Washes)

  • Confident

    Invasive Non-native Species reduction - prevention floating pennywort on Middle Level, other INNS where appropriate

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage invasive non-native species
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Middle Level

  • Less certain

    Catchwater Drain natural flood management - slowing run off into drain using leaky woody structures

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Flood and Coastal Innovation and Resilience Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Feasibility assessment, certainty of funding, buy-in from partners, resources
    Location
    Middle Level

  • Less certain

    Bury Brook - water quality and small wetlands: reed beds to reduce phosphate from small water recycling centres

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage point source discharges
    Delivery mechanism
    Potential future water industry programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Commitment and funds from water company, land owner agreement and resources to develop project
    Location
    Bury Brook

  • Less certain

    Catchment-wide tree planting

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

  • Less certain

    'Fens Good Ecological Potential' projects - improving biodiversity in heavily modified and pumped waterbodies

    Reason for measure
    Mitigate the impacts on ecology from physical modifications in modified waters
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Resources for identifying opportunities, development of options application for funds
    Location
    Middle Level

  • Wider water environment

    Habitat enhancement, create rich wildlife areas around Middle Level catchment drains, protect and enhance priority fen species

    Reason for measure
    Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Middle Level

  • Wider water environment

    Nature Recovery in the Fens, collaborative nature based solutions for improving water quality, flooding and targeted measures for INNS

    Reason for measure
    Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
    Delivery mechanism
    Landscape Recovery (ELMS)
    Location
    Middle Level

  • Wider water environment

    Climate resilience: engage communities and wider partnership in flood issues and developing future action

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

Catchment Partnership contributors

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