photo credit: Wheatland Farm 

This is the first of five special edition newsletters on implementation of the Biosphere Nature Recovery Plan. Each will cover one of the five action plans for the different habitats of the terrestrial part of the Biosphere:

• Wetlands and Waterbodies
• Coast
• Towns and Villages
• Grassland and Arable
• Trees, Woods and Hedges

The Nature Recovery Plan was launched in mid-2021 in response to the global ecological emergency to address specific nature declines (habitats and species) within the Biosphere. Our Vision is that by 2030 nature will be recovering across northern Devon, and each action plan sets out the priority actions for achieving this. Implementation of each action plan is being coordinated by a group of specialists.

This progress report presents a snapshot of achievements during the first two years of work for our Wetlands and Waterbodies action plan.

To read the Nature Recovery Plan, click here

To Sign our Nature Recovery Declaration as an individual or organisation, click here

The Vision for northern Devon is that by 2030, nature in our wetlands and waterbodies is recovering. Re-naturalised floodplain and other riparian land provides a mosaic of habitats for wildlife and creates opportunities for dynamic rivers and streams. Wide corridors of scrub, floodplain meadow and woodland alongside watercourses act as buffer strips from pollution and connect previously fragmented habitats. Habitat restoration (including on the degraded blanket bogs of Exmoor and Dartmoor) and creation have increased landscape connectivity and natural river flows. Water quality has improved with fewer sources of diffuse and point pollution. Barriers to fish movement and migration have been removed, large woody debris and clean spawning gravels are widespread: salmon are recovering. Re-introductions have enabled beavers to colonise all catchments creating nature-rich and climate resilient habitats, populations of re-introduced water voles are expanding and healthy populations of iconic otters are maintained in all catchments. Expanding networks of Culm grassland support thriving(meta)populations of marsh fritillary butterflies and narrow-bordered bee hawk-moths. The drumming of snipe and cries of breeding lapwing and curlew are heard once more, and willow tits sing in wet woodlands. Non-native invasive species now have minimal impact. Altogether, catchments support abundant and increasing wildlife ranging from aquatic plants and invertebrates to eels and freshwater pearl mussels.

2021-23 Key Achievements

1. Taw Torridge monitoring
2. Northern Devon Natural Solutions
3. Devon Woods
4. Devon Resilience Innovation Programme (DRIP) – Combe Martin & Little Dart
5. Water Vole Re-introduction
6. North Devon Fisheries Programme
7. Beaver Survey Programme
8. Invasive Non-Native Species
9. Agricultural Regulatory Taskforce
10. Peatland Restoration

The North Devon Biosphere Foundation and Westcountry Rivers Trust have been working to build the smart Biosphere by adding sensors to the network of live telemetered river data to complement the Environment Agency’s statutory work. This has included deploying two high spec Aqua Troll 600 sondes (Temperature, dissolved solids and water level) at the base of the Taw and Torridge catchments and another two Aqua Troll 200 sondes (Temperature, dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH and water level) at the base of the Mole and Upper Torridge. These will help assess the impact of catchment measures as well as trigger future citizen science measurements.

The Trust analyses this data into community score cards, which have gone from 9 in 2021 to 21 in 2022. Westcountry Rivers Trust are still looking for further volunteers across the catchments. https://wrt.org.uk/westcountry-csi/.

Northern Devon Natural Solutions (NDNS) is a Devon Wildlife Trust project running from 2021 until 2027. The project is working across northern Devon's rural communities to engage with landowners and managers as well as volunteers, community groups and schools to improve water quality, increase biodiversity, sequester carbon and mitigate flood risk. To achieve its goals, NDNS is focusing on 36 waterbodies across the Taw and Torridge river catchments. NDNS is working alongside partner organisations such as the Environment Agency, North Devon Biosphere Reserve, North Devon AONB, Catchment Sensitive Farming and Westcountry Rivers Trust, to deliver positive outcomes for nature within the targeted water bodies.

NDNS employs an innovative whole-farm approach, building on Devon Wildlife Trust’s experience, expertise and working relationships with land managers in northern Devon. The project’s advisers visit farms to produce Whole Farm Natural Solutions Plans (WFPs) outlining potential opportunities for increasing biodiversity, improving water quality and mitigating flood risk. NDNS has delivered advice and interventions that have enhanced 15km of river/riverside land including watercourse fencing, riverside tree planting, 30m bankside protection & restoration, 116 leaky dams and sediment ponds as well as 412 farm advisory visits.

Devon Woods is a North Devon UNESCO Biosphere project running from 2021 until 2027. The project area covers 49 water body catchments in North Devon. The primary objective of the project is to improve water quality by achieving and contributing towards elemental improvement where the main pressure is eutrophication from land use. Thirty waterbodies will be targeted throughout the project. Deliverables include:

• Achieve elemental improvement in 5 waterbodies
• Contribute towards elemental improvement in 15 waterbodies
• Enhance 16 kilometres of river through riparian and cross slope woodland planting

The project works alongside several partners, including the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Devon Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the Woodland Trust, National Trust and Westcountry Rivers Trust to design and create woodland and install natural flood management features which focus on keeping soil and water on the land. Woodland provides valuable habitat and when planted strategically can also be used to create a network of wildlife corridors for biodiversity to thrive. The project is also thinking ahead with a long-term vision for providing Devon with a source of local and sustainable timber and planning and creating woodland that can be managed for coppice related products.

Devon Woods has provided advice and delivered interventions throughout Devon focussing on woodland, wetland, and hedgerow creation. Woodlands are designed for a range of landowners across several sectors including dairy, arable, educational, equine and ecotourism. The project has, and is, working on woodland creation schemes ranging from 0.5 hectare to 60 hectares focussing on habitat creation, recreational access, timber production and silvopasture, and is also in the preliminary stages of drafting up designs for river restoration and stage zero restoration at a couple of sites.

Focussed landowner advice:

• 28,399 trees distributed into 16 catchments
• 9.24 hectares of woodland created
• 3.2 kilometres of hedges planted
• 1.25 kilometres of hedges gapped up and restored
• 67 farm visits conducted

The Devon Resilience Innovation Programme (DRIP) runs from 2022 – 2027 and is working with the North Devon Biosphere in both Combe Martin and the Little Dart catchments; the latter consists of the Upper and Lower Little Dart, the Huntacott Water and the Sturcombe River. This DRIP collaboration, one of 19 projects, is funded by Environment Agency FCRM (Flood and Coastal Risk Management) through Devon County Council.

In Combe Martin, for the protection of the local community, homes and local tourism businesses, DRIP is working in two phases: Phase 1 provides improvements and enhancements to the innovative SMART Biosphere sensor array which, first deployed in 2021 – 2022, will inform the development of a leading flood warning system for this rapid response catchment. This links to the Artificial Intelligence to stop water pollution element later in this report.

Phase 2 is underway and focuses on strategic restoration of historic catch meadow features within the catchment. Working with modelling and Devon County Council’s Historic Environment Team, the project has undertaken a pilot catch meadow excavation, has compiled a specification and is working on a feasibility study which will inform the restoration / creation of other catch meadows within the catchment based on three innovative designs. Nine 1-2-1 advisory visits have been undertaken.

The project has also met with Combe Martin Parish Council and has held a Community Flood Action Drop-in Day in partnership with the Combe Martin Free Trees Project and the Environment Agency, showcasing the award-winning Rivercraft game for engaging school age children on flood risk.

In the Little Dart catchments, DRIP is also set up and working in two phases:

Phase one worked with landowners to install the SMART Biosphere sensor array, consisting of water channel depth sensors, moisture sensors within grassland environments and strategic rain gauges to contribute towards a flood warning system and mobile application for the Little Dart, Huntacott Water and the Sturcombe River catchments.

On the basis of a catchment wide Natural Flood Management (NFM) Appraisal, phase two, is now active and is working with farmers and landowners to deliver whole farm support and implementation towards bespoke NFM measures, with the aim to slow both in-channel and surface water flows. Such work also may have significant benefits to local biodiversity and water quality. The project is accepting it’s first round of NFM applications, and access to other funding streams for landowners is supported through our project partners: Devon Wildlife Trust, Westcountry Rivers Trust, Catchment Sensitive Farming, the Taw Valley Little Dart Facilitation Group, Pledge for Nature and Devon Woods too. The creation and facilitation of the ‘Little Dart Projects Group’ between organisations also provides coordination for advice and funding support in the area.

To date, DRIP has hosted 7 drop-in sessions for local landowners and land managers to deliver NFM advisory support, alongside the ‘Little Dart Project Group’ member organisations and stakeholders. 16 1-2-1 advisory visits were also undertaken to support multi-catchment wide NFM delivery. DRIP has also run an NFM Workshop for landowners at a local farm.

To also engage with Parish Councils and the local community, DRIP attended Chulmleigh Parish Council meeting and hosted a DRIP Community and Engagement event at East Worlington Parish Hall, where school groups and members of the public were able to ask questions and learn from the project. DRIP has also presented at the River Taw River Fisheries and Conservation Association AGM and attended a local village fair and Beaford Arts event.

In the past, it is believed that healthy populations of water voles existed on Braunton Marsh and elsewhere along the Taw Torridge estuarine grazing marsh. A number of factors contributed to their decline and extinction, not least the growing numbers of North American Mink since the 1960s. A Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) was completed by the Internal Drainage Board (IDB) in 2021. The IDB obtained funding from Natural England to review and update its Water Level Management Plan. One issue that has been addressed is the annual ditch maintenance programme, which has been adjusted to reduce the impact of ditch scrape-outs on marsh vegetation and invertebrate populations.

The Biosphere contacted conservation expert Derek Gow to advise on habitat quality and suitability, prior to any re-establishment of water voles on Braunton Marsh. The first step has been to set up mink traps to assess the population level of this voracious predator, and by the end of 2022 no mink had been caught. Provided a stock of suitable water voles can be sourced, re-introduction could commence on Swanpool Marsh in 2023. This project has also obtained funding from Natural England.

Westcountry Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and the River Taw Fisheries and Conservation Association have been working together to monitor fish and improve river habitat in the North Devon area.

The national salmon stock assessment of England and Wales show the country’s salmon populations to be depleted. In 2022 the Environment Agency published the 2021 annual salmon stock assessment warning that action is needed if stocks are to stabilise and recover. Both the Taw and Torridge catchment’s salmon populations are classified as ‘At Risk’, the worst classification indicating unsustainable and declining numbers if nothing is done to address the situation.

Shad have been noted as a species potentially returning to the catchments and have been recorded entering the Taw and Mole catchments. This presence is likely to be supported by the opening up of the Taw catchment through the Taw Access over Weirs project which has improved migration through the main stem of the river to the Dartmoor and Exmoor headwaters. Shad surveys have taken place around the tidal limit on the estuary, upstream into the lower freshwater habitat of the rivers and tributaries, mapping habitat suitable for shad and noting barriers to their recolonization of our rivers.

Short-term habitat improvement and availability has been scheduled through the Westcountry Rivers Trust delivering gravel cleaning under the SHIP (Spawning Habitat Improvement Project) over the last five year period, however action was not possible in 2022 due to high water temperatures and subsequent impact on fish.

The North Devon Biosphere area is having barriers to migration mapped and prioritised for improvements to be made for migrating fish, including eels, lamprey, shad, salmon and sea trout. This will ensure ongoing efforts are conducted in a strategic way to improve fish access, and allow nature to recover.

Several obstacles are being worked up for either removal or fish passage/easement including:

• Bradiford Water tidal gate is being designed and modelled against flood risk, to allow access into and out of the catchment as a whole.
• Bradiford Water further investigations are due to take place at Tutshill Weir and Plaistow Weir which should address the main barriers and significantly improve the area above the estuary.
• Barnstaple Yeo has four main obstacles where improvements will reduce the cumulative impact on obligate migratory species using our freshwater habitat. Raleigh Weir is being investigated at business case. Arlington dam is being looked at with the National Trust as part of a landscape recovery project. The Loxhore pond is being improved in partnership with South West Water. Snapper Weir is under investigation.
• In the Torridge, Beam weir is being assessed linked to Shad, and Taddiport Weir is flagged for potential removal. These weirs are the downstream extents and the whole catchment will be reviewed over the next two years.
• The North Devon Streams will be included in the Biosphere fish barrier review, for example the Illfracombe Wilder Brooks are being prioritised for seedcorn funding investigations, and ongoing Taw Investigations (Hacche Weir, Eggesford Weir, Colleton Weir) will take place for continuous improvements to enable open access by freshwater fauna to the best habitat.

Following many recent sightings in the Taw surveys have been completed with good coverage across the Taw Catchment. Data is currently being processed by the University of Exeter and report writing coordinated by the Beaver Trust. For further information, interested landowners should contact:

beavers@devonwildlifetrust.org

Options are being explored for setting up a North Devon Beaver Management Group (BMG) following the release of the report from Natural England. The Tamar and East Devon BMGs operate to support landowners and other stakeholders with advice and guidance on beaver management and to ensure statutory bodies are ‘beaver ready’ in terms of operational and strategic objectives.

South West Water and South West Lakes Trust have been running a series of Invasive Non-Native Species activities across the South West including North Devon to increase awareness and delivery of biosecurity measures. Alongside this the group has been controlling invasive species at various sites through volunteer groups as well as taking opportunities with the low drought conditions to control for certain species. Angling groups are also playing an active role in controlling non-native plants such as Himalayan balsam

An Agricultural Regulatory Taskforce has been formed by the Environment Agency consisting of dedicated agricultural officers delivering full inspections and documented Action Plans and enforcement within priority catchments (e.g. N2K, protected sites impacted by dairy, etc..). They are predominantly looking at SSAFO (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) / Farming Rules for Water / NVZ (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones) compliance, Water Resources and Environmental Permitting Requirements. So far they have completed 112 inspections since January 2022 and found 80% are non-compliant and have therefore issued 300 actions with 40% already complete.

The South West Peatland Partnership is a collaboration between local and regional government agencies, charities, businesses, landowners and farmers, working to improve the condition of peatland across Cornwall, Dartmoor and Exmoor. Works aim to help support wildlife, store carbon, manage flooding, provide clean water, enhance archaeology and the historic environment, and champion livelihoods. Restoration works completed between 2021 and June 2023 within the North Devon Biosphere area include 41.5 ha on Dartmoor and 28 ha on Exmoor. Restoration works taking place within the North Devon Biosphere in the Winter of 2023-24 include at Hangingstone Hill and Ockerton Court North on NW Dartmoor. Methods being used to raise the water table, slow the flow of water and reduce sediment runoff from erosion include peat bunding, reprofiling peat hags and trialling the use of local sheep wool bunds

There is still little funding for large multi-annual catchment scale restoration projects. This means that only the smaller place-based projects are getting traction and so delivery against top level objectives is not as far forward as hoped.  However, much can be achieved through community action including

1. encouraging landowners to retain and restore wetland habitats especially along watercourses, and particularly to make every effort to stop sediment and nutrients reaching our rivers.
2. encouraging members of the public to report pollution incidents to the Environment Agency hotline (0800 807060) and where it is connected to sewage infrastructure to the South West Water hotline (0344 346 2020).
3. working together with the voluntary and community groups across the area via the Catchment Partnership role in coordinating understanding and implementation across our wetlands and waterbodies.

• Working together to share resources and push for large catchment-scale funding and develop multi-partner delivery projects.
• Further involving the community in Citizen Science and wider river assessment projects to enthuse and empower people, increase their understanding, and demonstrate how nature and a healthy river contributes to a thriving local economy.

Contributors - North Devon Catchment Partnership members

Editor - Dr Laurence Couldrick – laurence@wrt.org.uk – Westcountry Rivers Trust