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Water Sensitive Farming
Our rural landscapes are vital for producing the food we all need, but we how do we ensure that this is achieved without compromising all of the other benefits we get from the land around us? The answer is to work with farmers to make their businesses more resilient, sustainable and profitable while promoting ‘water sensitive farming’ practice that are less damaging to the environment.
Rivers Bring Water to Life
Rivers are home to spectacular and precious wildlife and form a key part of our rich natural heritage…They are also great places for us to discover, interact with and enjoy the natural world around us.
Find out more about the work of Westcountry Rivers Trust...
Upstream Thinking
South West Water recognized that it is cheaper to help farmers deliver cleaner raw water (water in rivers and streams) than it is to pay for the expensive filtration equipment required to treat polluted water after it is abstracted from the river for drinking. In the South West Water-funded Upstream Thinking project, we are working with farmers to find ways to manage the land more in ways that are more ‘water sensitive’.
Win-win for People & Wildlife
Working with farmers to protect water quality reduces the cost of drinking water and improves the health of the river, benefiting farmers, people and wildlife.
Upstream Thinking: 2015-2020
This film by South West Water gives an insight into their flagship catchment management initiative, Upstream Thinking, which is now in its second 5-year phase of delivery.
Interview: WRT Farm Advisor
Watch WRT’s Senior Farm Advisor, Ross Cherrington, being interviewed about delivery of on-farm advice to improve the farm business and protect the environment.
Down on the Farm
Two Upstream Thinking Project partners, Devon Wildlife Trust and WRT, have been working on a farm near Roadford Lake in West Devon.
Bid for Clean Water
Westcountry Rivers Trust, South West Water and the University of East Anglia, show how farmers, water company customers and the environment benefit from farm improvements on the River Fowey.
Catchment Management Evidence Review
In this review we explore the evidence indicating that the delivery of catchment management interventions can realise genuine improvements in water quality.
Rivers Matter
We might not realise it, but our rivers, lakes and coasts inspire and sustain us all in our everyday lives.
They are steeped in our history, embody our natural heritage and will be a vital element of our future health and prosperity.
Our ‘Rivers bring water to life…’ brochure illustrates the importance of our watery places.
