Weaver Gowy Catchment Partnership

Catchment partnership vision

Our vision is that all waterbodies in the Weaver Gowy catchment to be clean and healthy, supporting abundant wildlife, valued by people and enabling sustainable economic growth. We will do this by developing a robust evidence base to identify, prioritise and address the needs of the catchment. We will work collectively to achieve outcomes that will bring about water quality improvements and manage water quantity to protect people and wildlife from the influences of climate change, floods and drought. We will engage with businesses and communities to connect people with their natural environment and enhance and promote the natural aspects of the catchment by protecting species, improving habitat and biodiversity, controlling the spread of invasive non-native species.

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

    Nutrient, sediment and pesticide inputs from dairy, beef and arable farming activities

  • Pollution from waste water

    Point source pollution and nutrient input

  • Physical modifications

    Historic physical modifications have impacted on the natural state of the waterbodies

Wider water environment challenges identified by partnership

  • Nature Recovery, designated areas for nature and biodiversity

    Fragmented habitats have reduced biodiversity, enhancing and restoring habitats will promote nature recovery

  • Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance

    Poor soil quality results in reduced plant growth and potential for soil and nutrient loss which in turn pollutes waterways

  • Reduce storm overflows and drainage system incidents

    Pollution from storm overflows and other contaminated outfalls is impacting on water quality and community perception of water bodies

  • Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change

    Catchments are increasingly at risk from the changing climate, urgent action is needed to mitigate the risks to ecosystems and communities

  • Connecting communities with nature

    People engaged and connected with green/blue spaces to improve their health, wellbeing and responsible interaction with the natural world

  • Support Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy

    A joined-up catchment wide approach is needed to develop and deliver Local Nature Recovery Strategies

Future challenges predicted by partnership

  • Pollution from agriculture and rural areas

    To go beyond water quality & biological impacts of agricultural sediment & chemical run-off prioritising catchment scale restoration of healthy fertile soils & nutrient balance

  • Pollution from waste water

    To keep clean water out of the sewerage network via sustainable urban drainage systems, natural flood management and using nature based solutions

  • Pollution from towns, cities and transport

    To educate, engage and promote behaviour change within local communities and business to reduce pollution entering our waterways from catchment to sea

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
  • Pollution from Agriculture and Rural Areas
  • Pollution from Towns Cities and Transport

Partnership success highlights 2016 to 2021

The Weaver Gowy Catchment Partnership has supported a number of farming advisory initiatives led by organisations including United Utilities, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Reaseheath College, The Mersey Forest and more recently Mersey Rivers Trust, to provide farming advise, reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture, improve water quality and farming practices. The Gowy WEG and Upper Weaver SCaMP WEG projects engaged with farmers across several catchments providing advice and guidance and funding to deliver capital interventions to address soil and nutrient loss. Projects incorporating leaky woody structures (natural flood management) have also helped to ensure numerous benefits including alleviation of downstream flood risk. As a partnership we have delivered multiple holistic, hands-on interventions in the catchment including clough woodland planting; installation of nature based solutions; riparian buffering and soft engineered log jams. Local community and business engagement has also been central to our plan and the Groundwork CLM led the ‘Love My River’ initiative, supported by the Environment Agency, to engage local residents and businesses. Citizen science, through initiatives such as the Yellow Fish, Connect Right, Outfall Safari and community sustainable drainage schemes, have helped to empower local communities to get involved and take action to prevent deterioration of their water environment.

Partnership development plans

The Weaver Gowy Catchment Partnership has an ambition to continue to develop and deliver projects that bring about integrated multiple benefits that help to deliver the 25 Year Environment Plan, tackle climate crisis and improve nature and biodiversity recovery. We want to maximise opportunities to secure finance and channelling funds into delivering better and bigger strategic blue/green initiatives.

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
    Weaver Gowy

  • Confident

    Support development of a multi benefit integrated approach to enhance and improve Valley Brook in Crewe

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Location
    Valley Brook (Englesea Brook to Weaver)

  • Confident

    Continuing a multi stakeholder approach to engaging and supporting our local farming community through our dedicated Agricultural Working Group

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Voluntary initiatives
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Confident

    Upper Weaver Water Friendly Farming

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Location
    Weaver Lower Weaver Upper

  • Less certain

    A fully financed Invasive Non-native Species strategy

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage invasive non-native species
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Need to secure funding
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Less certain

    Growing community sustainable drainage systems to expand and delivery of multi benefits

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    WEIF Water Environment Improvement Fund
    Barriers to delivery
    Need to secure funding
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Less certain

    Ongoing development of a robust evidence base through our dedicated online StoryMap

    Reason for measure
    Feasibility study to build commitment to deliver
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Need to secure funding
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Less certain

    Tackling water quality to support protected species

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage rural diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Other local funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Need to secure funding
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Less certain

    Delivery of interventions to tackle contaminated runoff from highway outfalls

    Reason for measure
    Control or manage urban diffuse pollution
    Delivery mechanism
    Highways England Programme
    Barriers to delivery
    Need to secure funding
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Less certain

    Fully Financed Fisheries and Eel Strategy

    Reason for measure
    Manage modified habitats
    Delivery mechanism
    Other Public funding
    Barriers to delivery
    Needs to secure funding
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Wider water environment

    Connecting people with green and blue spaces, continued delivery of citizen science and voluntary initiatives to engage and upskill local people

    Reason for measure
    Connecting communities with nature
    Delivery mechanism
    Other philanthropic/charitable/trust funds
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Wider water environment

    Working with landowners and farmers to encourage sustainable land management practices

    Reason for measure
    Protect and restore healthy soils and nutrient balance
    Delivery mechanism
    Landscape Recovery (ELMS)
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

  • Wider water environment

    Work with all of stakeholder members to support Climate Emergency local strategies

    Reason for measure
    Build environmental resilience and adaptation to climate change
    Delivery mechanism
    Other philanthropic/charitable/trust funds
    Location
    Weaver Gowy

Catchment Partnership contributors

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