The Middle Dee Catchment Partnership
Working with selected farmers and landowners in the Worthenbury and Wych Brook catchments to look at ways of improving water quality in these tributaries of the River Dee. Both Worthenbury and Wych Brooks are failing water bodies under ecological and chemical criteria defined by the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Both have high phosphate levels which are mainly attributed to agricultural sources. The catchment as a whole also has a number of ecological failures including for fish. It is for this reason that we are working intensively with landowners in the area to address the issues in these particular brooks of the Middle Dee.
There is an opportunity for farmers to get free advisory visits that will provide support with soil testing, nutrient management planning and management of sprays and sprayers where appropriate. These will be drawn together into a water management plan which is bespoke to the land and business. A small capital grant is available for improvements that will benefit the project aims, and we will also be able to signpost towards other funding sources, such as support for tree planting from our project partners at The Woodland Trust.
The Middle Catchment Partnership is a collaboration between:
- Welsh Dee Trust
- Reaseheath College
- Environment Agency
- Natural Resources Wales
- United Utilities plc
- Welsh Water plc
- Natural England
- National Farmers Union
- The Woodland Trust
- Meres and Mosses (Shropshire Wildlife Trust)