UTdR Reports

The following reports have been prepared by external experts on behalf of ART and were commissioned to cover a range of water related environmental issues that were known to be of value to rivers trusts in England & Wales. The reports are also designed to allow our European partners within the U.TdR project to make comparisons with their own local environmental/educational practices or to provide templates that might be modified for their own local use and encourage information exchange or technology transfer across the EU. All the reports can be freely used for non-commercial purposes with due acknowledgement of the original authors and ART.

Political & Media Contacts Database
For publicity purposes, one of the difficulties in disseminating information, particularly on a European scale, is to target those media contacts and politicians who are most interested in the water environment. A centrally generated database of relevant media and political contacts was considered to be a cost effective benefit to the partners both during and after the Project, and provide the platform for ongoing publicity. Accordingly, ART commissioned the preparation of a media contacts database, which includes Members of the European Parliament by country, European Newsletters/Journals, Press contacts for European Parliament Committees, European Commission Press & Communication contacts, the Council of the EU and the European Commissioners. The full database is available by clicking here (File size: 265kb - File format: Excel)

Water Quality Monitoring Review: APEM: 2005
APEM (independent consultants) were commissioned by ART to produce a report on the status of water quality and biological sampling and monitoring of diffuse water pollution undertaken by the Environment Agency in England & Wales and the implications in meeting the objectives of the Water Framework Directive. This provides ART and other interested organisations with an objective review of current practice in England & Wales and a firm basis on which to contribute towards shaping future monitoring programmes under the WFD. It also provides a benchmark comparison for programmes in other EU countries. The full report is available for downloading by clicking here (File size: 736kb - File format: Word).

Surveying - Rapid Assessment of River Environments (R.A.R.E.)
Eden Rivers Trust has successfully pioneered the R.A.R.E. method for river basin planning and risk/work targeting. With limited resources it is imperative for cost effectiveness that work is targeted on the most vulnerable areas of a river basin. The R.A.R.E. technique, using aerial surveying, allows priority areas to be quickly identified on a structured basis. ART believes that this method, used in conjunction with its favoured community bottom up approach, can provide a template for all river basins that cannot be easily and quickly be covered by a walk-over survey. ART therefore commissioned Eden Rivers Trust to prepare a practical guide of the technique, which is available by clicking here (File size: 1,339kb - File format: Adobe PDF). A complementary presentation, given to Expo Rome in November 2006, is available by clicking on the following link [Appx 47 rename as RARE: Rome 2006].

Rural River Habitat Management Best Practice
The underlying approach adopted by rivers trusts in England & Wales has been to work with individual farmers and land managers to find positive solutions to environmental problems and issues, particularly those that provide cost benefits or are at worst cost neutral. Rivers trust advisers have no authority to compel action, and work on the principle of encouraging farmers and land managers to adopt practices that they find most acceptable to their own particular land and/or preferences. The Rural River Habitat Management Best Practice notes, prepared for ART by Westcountry Rivers Trusts, are designed to offer a choice of solutions for farmers and land managers to apply, based on their knowledge and experience of their own land. The full set of guidance notes is available by clicking on the following link The Rural River Habitat Management Best Practice notes (File size: 3,481kb - File format: Adobe PDF).

Agri-environment schemes in England
A disappointment with agri-environment schemes in England over many years has been their focus on species and specific habitats and the failure to recognise river corridors as the natural umbilical cord linking those habitats and species. As a result, ART commissioned a practical guide on current agri-environment schemes in England in order to help rivers trust personnel and others understand policy changes relating to the Common Agricultural Policy. The guide reminds land managers of their Cross Compliance obligations relevant to watercourse protection and enables and encourages land managers to adopt those Environmental Stewardship options most likely to result in the protection of rivers and streams. The full report is available by clicking on the following links Agri-environment schemes in England (File size: 177kb - File format: Adobe PDF).

Working with the Water Companies
In England , public water supply is undertaken by the private sector, mainly through various public listed companies or subsidiaries of multi-nationals. Because of the relatively young nature of rivers trusts, there was no research to indicate if they recognised or understood what rivers trusts were doing, what potentially they might do or how to collaborate with them. The commissioned research report sets out the relationship between water companies and rivers trusts, in order better to understand how best to deliver improvements in water quality consistent with the economic drivers and strategies adopted by the largely privatised UK water industry, particularly in non-capital intensive solutions possible to prevent pollution at source rather than rely on capital water treatment works to provide end point quality control. The full report is available by clicking here (File size: 82kb - File format: Adobe PDF).

Freshwater Life Animations
Community involvement is encouraged if the general public has a basic understanding of the relationship between rivers and the water they depend on, literally, for life. ART accordingly commissioned Eden Rivers Trust to adapt a public museum presentation shown in the north of England during 2006 by preparing some interactive freshwater life animations, covering the geomorphological processes like meanders, glaciation and the creation of lakes, the water cycle etc. The set of Freshwater Life Animations are available by clicking here.

Primary School River Education Pack
ART is keen to foster a longer term understanding and appreciation of rivers and the benefits of good water quality by providing teachers of primary school children aged 5 to 10 years with an education tool that they can basically use “off the shelf” to meet requirements of the National Curriculum in England and Wales. Eden Rivers Trust, which has a strong primary education bias and experience, was therefore commissioned to prepare a generic education pack for use primarily by other rivers trusts in the England and Wales . It includes information and resources on river investigation for Key Stages 1 and 2 under the English National Curriculum. The education pack can be downloaded by clicking here and further information is available from www.edenriverstrust.org.uk.

Blueprint for Water
ART has been involved with Anglers Conservation Association, National Trust, RSPB, Salmon & Trout Association, Waterwise, Wildlife Trusts, WWF, and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in the preparation and, on 28 November 2006, the launch nationally of a manifesto for water under the title “Blueprint for Water” - 10 steps to sustainable water by 2015. Blueprint for Water sets out the steps needed to meet the UK ’s target under the Water Framework Directive, and provides the basis for EU collaboration and co-operation in the next decade. Although technically independent of the U.TdR project, ART believes that there is synergy with the U.TdR partnership and merit in linking the project with the initiative. The full report can be downloaded by clicking here (File size: 1,870kb - File format: Adobe PDF) and further information from www.blueprintforwater.org.uk