Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust
Encyclopedia
The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust was formed in 2004 with a remit to improve, restore and conserve the river
s Swale
, Ure
, Wharfe
and Nidd
whose headwaters lie within the Yorkshire Dales
National Park
and the Nidderdale
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. The trust is a member of the Association of Rivers Trusts
which set up as a charity
in 2001 to represent member trusts and assist them with conserving river catchments across England
and Wales
.
The trust's remit is to improve the catchments of the four rivers of interest from the headwaters to the Humber Estuary, starting with the upland sections of the rivers before moving work downstream. Many of the impacts on rivers arise close to the headwaters where annual rainfall is high and topography
steep, resulting in rapid movements of water from land to river. This can be exacerbated by changes in land management
including upland drainage channels on peat
soils and soil compaction
of in-bye land from heavy machinery and livestock
. There is some evidence to suggest that downstream flood
events may become more regular and have higher peak flows due to such land management. However, the trust recognises that agricultural change has been driven by national and international economic drivers which have encouraged intensification, and that farmer
s are not at fault when it comes to river degradation. The trust works directly with the farming community to try to identify win-win situations that can both improve the condition of river ecology whilst reducing farming costs or saving time. A simple example of this is rerouting clean rain water from slurry
stores. This can save irrigation
and spreading costs, allowing farmers to utilise animal fertilisers more efficiently and so improve crop yield
s and reduce runoff
to rivers and diffuse pollution
. The Association of Rivers Trusts has assisted with this work through the PINPOINT project which, through funding from the Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative, has provided training in delivering farm advice.
Measures such as gill planting or blocking upland drainage channels have helped reduce impacts on rivers by slowing flow rates and decreasing sediment
and nutrient
loadings. The trust also works with farmers and uses modeling tools such as SCIMAP to identify the most risky locations of a river catchment in terms of diffuse pollution delivery. This helps targeting of resources and allows river restoration to occur in the most needed locations. Over the next few years work will continue on projects including Catchment Sensitive Farming Schemes and salmon
restoration projects.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s Swale
River Swale
The River Swale is a river in Yorkshire, England and a major tributary of the River Ure, which itself becomes the River Ouse, emptying into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary....
, Ure
River Ure
The River Ure is a river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only one of the Dales now named after a village rather than its river...
, Wharfe
River Wharfe
The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England. For much of its length it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. The name Wharfe is Celtic and means "twisting, winding".The valley of the River Wharfe is known as Wharfedale...
and Nidd
River Nidd
The River Nidd is a tributary of the River Ouse in the English county of North Yorkshire. In its first few miles it is dammed three times to create Angram Reservoir, Scar House Reservoir and Gouthwaite Reservoir which attract around 150,000 visitors a year...
whose headwaters lie within the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
National Park
National parks of England and Wales
The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...
and the Nidderdale
Nidderdale
Nidderdale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It is the upper valley of the River Nidd, which flows south through the dale, forming several reservoirs including the Gouthwaite Reservoir, before turning east and eventually joining the River Ouse.The only town in the dale is...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. The trust is a member of the Association of Rivers Trusts
Association of Rivers Trusts
The Rivers Trust is the new name for the Association of Rivers Trusts which is a waterway society and registered charity No. 1107144, and an umbrella organisation for trusts concerned with rivers in England and Wales...
which set up as a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in 2001 to represent member trusts and assist them with conserving river catchments across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The trust's remit is to improve the catchments of the four rivers of interest from the headwaters to the Humber Estuary, starting with the upland sections of the rivers before moving work downstream. Many of the impacts on rivers arise close to the headwaters where annual rainfall is high and topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
steep, resulting in rapid movements of water from land to river. This can be exacerbated by changes in land management
Land management
Land management is the process of managing the use and development of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agriculture, reforestation, water resource management and eco-tourism projects.-See also:*Sustainable land management*Acreage...
including upland drainage channels on peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
soils and soil compaction
Soil compaction
In Geotechnical engineering, soil compaction is the process in which a stress applied to a soil causes densification as air is displaced from the pores between the soil grains. When stress is applied that causes densification due to water being displaced from between the soil grains then...
of in-bye land from heavy machinery and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. There is some evidence to suggest that downstream flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
events may become more regular and have higher peak flows due to such land management. However, the trust recognises that agricultural change has been driven by national and international economic drivers which have encouraged intensification, and that farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s are not at fault when it comes to river degradation. The trust works directly with the farming community to try to identify win-win situations that can both improve the condition of river ecology whilst reducing farming costs or saving time. A simple example of this is rerouting clean rain water from slurry
Slurry
A slurry is, in general, a thick suspension of solids in a liquid.-Examples of slurries:Examples of slurries include:* Lahars* A mixture of water and cement to form concrete* A mixture of water, gelling agent, and oxidizers used as an explosive...
stores. This can save irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and spreading costs, allowing farmers to utilise animal fertilisers more efficiently and so improve crop yield
Crop yield
In agriculture, crop yield is not only a measure of the yield of cereal per unit area of land under cultivation, yield is also the seed generation of the plant itself...
s and reduce runoff
Runoff
Run-off or runoff may refer to:* Surface runoff, the flow of water, from rain, snow melt, or other sources, over land* Runoff model , a mathematical model describing the rainfall-runoff relations of a rainfall catchment area or watershed...
to rivers and diffuse pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
. The Association of Rivers Trusts has assisted with this work through the PINPOINT project which, through funding from the Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative, has provided training in delivering farm advice.
Measures such as gill planting or blocking upland drainage channels have helped reduce impacts on rivers by slowing flow rates and decreasing sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
and nutrient
Nutrient
A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted to and used as energy...
loadings. The trust also works with farmers and uses modeling tools such as SCIMAP to identify the most risky locations of a river catchment in terms of diffuse pollution delivery. This helps targeting of resources and allows river restoration to occur in the most needed locations. Over the next few years work will continue on projects including Catchment Sensitive Farming Schemes and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
restoration projects.