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Conservation
In order to counteract some of the threats to the River Eden and to conserve, restore and protect the river environment, the Trust carries out the following work;
- Fencing; to prevent livestock damaging, and polluting, the river.
- Erosion Control; includes bank reprofiling and willow spiling to reinstate the river bank and prevent further erosion.
- Water Supplies; to provide an alternative water supply to livestock.
- Farm Advice; to help farmers work in a more environmentally friendly way.
- Barriers and Fish Passes; to reintroduce to allow spawning fish access to all parts of the river.
- Tree Management; to improve the habitat for wildlife in and around the river.
- Instream Works; to create gravel spawning grounds in canalised stretches of river.
Our sub-catchment approach
After more than ten years of carrying out habitat restoration Eden Rivers Trust has gained a great deal of experience and knowledge in terms of practical application. Our scientific research has helped us understand and prioritise the problems the river faces and we are now in a stronger position than ever to tackle the issues affecting the River Eden and its tributaries.
A targeted sub-catchment approach (click here to see map) has been developed, focused around five conservation plans which lay out the conservation work Eden Rivers Trust aims to carry out over the next three years (2008-2010).
River Petteril (Project Officer: Will Cleasby)
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Once termed the ‘Jewel of the Eden’ research has shown the River Petteril to be one of the Eden’s most heavily impacted tributaries.
- It is predicted by environmental models to a high to very high risk of receiving diffuse pollution;
- There are high levels of riparian damage and little bankside cover due to intensive grazing (over 19km of banks are impacted by stock poaching);
- It receives runoff from the M6;
- It is impacted by the urban expansion of Carlisle; and
- Electrofishing surveys have only found poor juvenile trout numbers and no juvenile salmon.
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River Leith and River Lyvennet (Project Officer: Lucy Dugdale)
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Poor water quality is also an issue in this sub-catchment. Shap Waste water Treatment Works is considered the major contributor but the catchment is also predicted by environmental modelling to have a high risk of receiving diffuse pollution from agriculture. This is further exacerbated by low flow issues which can reduce the dilution potential for pollution. Crayfish surveys have found abnormal recruitment and a high incidence of disease suggesting the water quality issues are impacting on ecology. The level of riparian damage due to intensive grazing is also high.
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Hoff Beck and Helm Beck (Project Officer: Joanne Backshall)
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Aerial surveys showed these two tributaries to have the highest concentration of riparian habitat damage in the Eden catchment due to intensive grazing. A staggering 30-40% of the bank length surveyed was severely degraded and cover for aquatic species was sparse. Our survey work has found populations of white-clawed crayfish and juvenile salmonids to be fragmented as a result of this damage. |
STREAM Sustainable Trout Restoration, Ecosystem Approach and Management (Project Officer: Rebbecca Chaffer)
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Our fisheries research has found juvenile trout stocks to be poor across much of the Eden catchment. It has also shown that some of the smallest tributaries - often less than 2m wide - can be critical spawning and nursery areas. These streams are often neglected in conservation and restoration strategies due to their size. However, their size also makes them particularly vulnerable habitats to riparian degradation and pollution. This is why we have developed a species restoration plan devoted to improving and conserving trout in these small streams. The focus of the project initially is the Irthing/Gelt catchment where trout populations appear to be declining, but the Upper Eden will also be targeted in the future.
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Trout Beck (Project Officer: Will Cleasby)
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Our fisheries research has shown Trout Beck to be one of the most productive tributaries within the catchment. Considerable habitat improvement work has already been undertaken here, however, localised pressures do still exist including patches of riparian habitat damage; water quality issues and barriers to fish migration. The aim of this plan is to continue this work to protect and conserve the high biodiversity value of the Trout Beck providing an exemplar template for sustainable habitat restoration.
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Download our sub-catchment plans to find out more about the work planned:
River Petteril
Leith/Lyvennet
Hoff/Helm
STREAM (conservation plan will be available shortly)
Trout Beck (conservation plan will be available shortly)
For landowners
We currently having funding available in all our target sub-catchments for river conservation work including: bankside fencing; tree planting; farm nutrient and soil management advice and diffuse pollution remediation. If you are interested in finding out more about the funding and advice available to make a difference to the river in your sub-catchment please contact the relevant project officer.
We are extremely grateful to all our supporters who help fund our sub-catchment work.
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