Rivers Waver & Wampool
The Waver Wampool Catchment is located in North Cumbria with Wigton lying at its heart. The landscape is mainly flat, productive farmland criss-crossed by many rivers and becks and covers 378 km2. Similar to many watercourses in England, the rivers have been heavily modified (straightened), and all surface water fails to meet the Water Framework Directive good status threshold. Our focus therefore is on improving the water quality in the local becks and rivers. Other goals are to increase biodiversity, to capture carbon and to improve soil management.
Examples of our work include:
Fencing of watercourses to reduce run-off
Planting trees and hedges to improve water quality and biodiversity
Removing obstructions to help fish move up and down the watercourses
Organise farmers’ meetings to advise on subjects such as soil management
In 2024 we will work with WRAP (Waste Reduction Action Plan) who have chosen the Waver Wampool Catchment as their next project area to achieve sustainable water management. This will allow us to work with more landowners. We will also work on reducing flood risk – particularly in Wigton – by using Natural Flood Management techniques.
West Cumbria Rivers Trust is the local site operator for the first air sampling project undertaken by the Environment Agency on evaluating the impact of ammonia mitigation measures under the Catchment Sensitive Farming partnership programme. The monitoring network is managed by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Our staff go out monthly in the catchment and change 30 samplers which are located in the landscape around Wedholme Flow SSSI and National Nature Reserve near Kirkbride.
Pupils from St Cuthbert School in Wigton planting trees in the rain
If you would like to volunteer in the area, sign-up and look for activities in the Waver Wampool Catchment.
If you are a landowner within the catchment and interested in working with us, or for any general queries about the project, contact Monique Speksnyder.
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After
Project funders
