the umbrella body of the rivers trust movement

where there’s water, there’s life

Simon EvansCEOWye & Usk Foundation

Delivering the 25yr plan: Does the carrot need a stick?

Wye Catchment

Partnership -

Improving

water quality at

reduced cost

Farm advice,

Knowledge transfer

and solutions

Farm support and

grants

Water company:

Catchment investment

Water company:

Waste

Development and

planning

Monitoring and

Feedback

Buyers

Farm assurance (+)

Regulation and

enforcement

Urban and

Highways drainage

Solving complex problems like Water Quality:

Agreeing who does what and working in concert.

What works around the world?• A combination of: - Effective regulation- Knowledge transfer of solutions and best practice- Financial rewards

Pull Push

• Multi partner • EA playing key supporting role • Agree and promote 7 key messages• Vanguard of farmers proof and

promote• Events aimed at different levels –

early adopters vs late adopters.• Events pique interest but how do we

facilitate the next step?

WUF’s work with Farmers;Solving Diffuse Pollution, Naturalising flows, improving Soil Health and much more.

ü Confidential expert adviceü Practical & pragmatic

solutions to issues identified

ü Capital grants to support change

ü Long term relationship between farmer and adviser

ü starts with whole farm plan

ü Assistance with Stewardship Applications

How do you solve a problem like maize?

• High risk/high yield crop being grown outside natural limits.

• 16 Anaerobic Digestion added over 7,000 acres of maize in Wye b/w 2009-13.

• 75% of maize fields show high or severe levels of soil degradation.

• Major problems with soil and phosphate loss in wet autumns.

The solution

• Chisel ploughing – effective but costly

• Broadcast grass – Mixed results

• Direct drilling works• Partnership between Dwr

Cymru, WUF and Field solutions to deliver and publicise the solution.

• New drill and coulter built• 6 major growers took up offer

in 2016 (132ha)• Drill fully booked in 2017• 2 more drills secured

Pushing the ‘Laggards’

• The Wye catchment partnership and 2015 judicial Review of use of Water protection zones created the environment.

• 2015/16 EA identified risk areas and staff went out on wet days.

• 63 breaches of soil loss rules recorded.

• 2016 Soils workshops.• Farmers responded!• but RPA dysfunctional• 2016/17 used satellite married to risk

maps with threat of works orders.• 13 threats issued 2017• 12 of the farmers contacted WUF

within 24hrs

3 of the 12 farmers….

New rules for agriculture

Mid Tier application for 400 Acre Farm

Improved use of farm subsidies and grants

Mid Tier application for 400 Acre Farm that delivers water protection and biodiversity

Red: 6 metre margins SW1 (4,700 m or 2.8 ha at £353 / ha = £988)Orange12 – 24 metre margins SW4 (1.1 ha at £512 / ha = £563)GreenVery low input grassland GS2. (19.8

ha at £95 / ha = £1,881)YellowOrchards to restore GS2. (5.6 ha at

£95 / ha = £532)PinkNectar mix (2.0 ha at £511 / ha =

£1022)Total annual payment £4,475Capital items

Orchard tree plantingTree planting by big pondRestore small pondFence Brook in pasture and put in water trough

• Consider arable reversion option in Brick Hills SW7 (£311 / ha)

• Note the conditions for very low input grassland option –may be severe.

• Check the list for other options of interest.Also 800 metres (0.48 ha) of 6

metre margins on other land = £169

Support for farmers to change (2018)72 schemes totalling £4.5m• 104km of buffer strips/stock fencing• 62 drinking places closed and alternative water provided• 34,400m2 of concrete, 20,100m2 of roofing, 3.2km of guttering and downpipes• 6 biobeds• 491 bankside trees coppiced and 76 trees pollarded• 333ha of low input grassland created• 45ha Pollen & Nectar type options• 97ha Winter bird• 45ha Traditional orchards • 42ha Legume & herb-rich swards• 50ha Seasonal livestock removal against watercourses• 25ha cover crops

376ha of high/medium risk land changed to lower risk land

Thankfully we haven’t been alone in our efforts....

Not to mention the 1,004 land owners who’ve worked with us!

www.wyeuskfoundation.org

Thank you