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Action on The River Welland
Action on The River Welland reports Geoffrey Gilfillan
The River Welland rises above Market Harborough and flows through the gently rolling countryside of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, before reaching Stamford, where it is one of the features that makes the town so attractive. Below Stamford, the river continues on its way to Market Deeping and Spalding where its character changes, slowing down as it becomes one of the four fenland rivers which drain the Fens, before entering The Wash.
People have relied on the Welland for thousands of years for water, food, drainage, transport and energy and as a result the river and its valley have changed enormously. For example, the river used to flow through the Trinity Bridge in Crowland, which is now almost a mile away and the bridge is now a dry monument in the centre of the town.
While many of these changes have been positive, such as the creation of the water meadows which were such an important feature of the Welland Valley, many more others have been destructive. We are left with the legacy of some of these changes, particularly those associated with the physical nature of the river, how it behaves in draining the land and how much water flows into it. There are also other, newer pressures affecting the river, such as sediment from fields.
The Welland Rivers Trust strives to take action to address all the issues affecting the quality of habitat, wildlife and water in the entire catchment. Conservation Work on the Welland
The Welland Rivers Trust is a charity dedicated to protecting and conserving freshwater habitats within the River Welland catchment.
Our vision is that the River Welland, from its source near Market Harborough, Leicestershire, through to the tidal limit at Spalding, Lincolnshire, including all the many tributaries will:
• Be cleaner and healthier • Continue to provide drainage and manage flood risk • Support more fish, birds and other wildlife • Meet the needs of drinking water suppliers and businesses • Provide a more attractive place for people to enjoy • Be sensitively managed by everyone whose activities affect it
Image: Mark Peck
We are achieving this vision by working with everyone who wants to help us, including individuals, land managers, farmers, local communities, businesses, voluntary organisations, local authorities and government agencies.
To date, our work has mostly involved:
1. River restoration projects to return our rivers and streams to a healthy and self-sustaining state
River Warden Citizen Science Project
Following several successful funding applications, we are launching a new project to train River Warden Groups throughout the Welland Catchment. The River Warden Scheme will give people who care about the River Welland and their local environment a chance to: Work with the Welland Rivers Trust to provide river monitoring on a short stretch of the River Welland (or a tributary of the Welland) Monitor wildlife including plants, invertebrates, and mammals – information which helps in understanding trends and identifying changes in the health of the ecosystem Record and alert the WRT and Environment Agency on pollution incidents – allowing a quick response to deal with the pollution event Record invasive non-native species such as Himalayan Balsam – so that species distribution maps can be produced, allowing for catchmentcoordinated action to remove and eradicate them Report fly tipping and littering – it can be a large threat to people, wildlife and fisheries Record localised flooding and other river issues in the community The River Wardens will ‘adopt’ a stretch of river to suit their mobility, interests and location. Wardens will undertake periodic checks and monitoring of their adopted river stretch. On each visit the wardens will survey and record: Invertebrate biodiversity Water quality (testing for nitrate, phosphate, acidity, ammonia, and temperature) Invasive species (e.g. signal crayfish) Important wildlife sightings (e.g. otters) This information is being fed back to the WRT’s Project Officer, who is mapping the data, and supplying data to the Environment Agency. The River Warden Scheme allows rural communities to take action that will help conserve their river environment. Through simple monitoring techniques, our Wardens will be able to detect any severe perturbations in river water quality, ensuring that action is taken at the earliest opportunity should any severe perturbations be detected. Please contact us at info@wellandriverstrust.org.uk if you are interested in becoming a volunteer River Warden. Alternatively, you can follow us on Twitter or Facebook; just search for the Welland Rivers Trust.
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