WRT host or co-host 3 CaBA partnerships, the Tamar Catchment Partnership, the North Devon Catchment Partnership, and the South Devon Catchments Partnership, alongside our co-hosts the South Devon AONB. We are also active partners in the Cornwall, East Devon, South & West Somerset, and Dorset Catchment Partnerships.

Across the partnerships hosted by WRT, we have adopted a stakeholder-led ‘ecosystem services’ approach to catchment planning. This has involved us, as host organisation, working with stakeholders to identify areas within the catchment which play, or have the potential to play, a particularly important role in the delivery of clean water and a range of other benefits (services) to society.

We started by organising workshops for each partnership, during which we worked with local stakeholders to produce an action plan. We have also conducted detailed, GIS-based ecosystem services evidence reviews for each catchment, to ensure the action plans are evidence-led.

The action plans are specific to each unique catchment, however there are important themes which are being tackled across the Westcountry, and by CaBA partnerships across the country. This includes: working with partners to reduce pollution and run-off from sources such as farmland, septic tanks and roads; tackling flood risk and working with at-risk communities to trial and implement Natural Flood Management (NFM) techniques; working on public engagement, volunteering and education to re-connect people to their local rivers; and much more.

The partnerships hold regular meetings and keep in touch via email updates and our new Catchment Partnership websites for South Devon (www.south-devon.org), Tamar (www.my-tamar.org) and North Devon (coming soon…). We welcome interest, input and ideas from new partners including community organisations, local individuals and small and large businesses, so please get in touch if you would like to get involved.