The Wye is one of the most significant and important rivers in the UK which is reflected in its EU designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). But the river and wider catchment are under significant pressure which are affecting the sustainability of the agriculture sector (soil loss & health) and the viability of the local economy (pollution impacting tourism and restricting development).
To date, the Wye and Usk Foundation (WUF), working with partners such as the Environment Agency (EA/Natural Resources Wales) Natural England, have worked with over 600 farmers, opened up over 760km of ‘new’ habitat,improved the riparian habitat of 309km and restored 63km of formerly fishless water in the upper catchment.
This has allowed the establishment of a successful fisheries marketing scheme – which is attracting fishermen from around the world - which now providing the funds for ongoing maintenance.
Water Ambition project
Following the establishment of the Wye Catchment Partnership (WCP) in 2014 there is now a shared understanding of the principal problems and their causes and the WCP acts as a focal hub in delivering actions to correct the issues that have been collectively identified.
A collective action project, now being developed under Courtauld 2025 and led by the Rivers Trust, provides the opportunity for businesses to identify some of the key issues from supply chains within the catchment get involved in developing the solutions.
Contact Alex Adam at the Rivers Trust to find out more and get involved.
Find out about other Water Ambition Collective Action Projects here.