The work is complete – and just in time before the recent rain.

However 9 ponds, 12 berms, 1 digger, 1 inflated life jacket, a million photographs, and 600 meters of restoration later and it is all worth it.

To find out more go to http://www.wessexwater.co.uk/news/threecol.aspx?id=4718

Rivers on the Edge is a 6 minute film commissioned by WWF and produced by Charles Rangeley-Wilson, well known presenter of TV series The Accidental Angler.

The film focuses on what Charles refers to as “the ultimate rivers” – English chalk streams. It aims to make the link between the water we use in our homes and the natural world. It highlights what’s special about chalk streams and how water efficiency can play a big part in helping to conserve them.

Chalk stream, like the River Avon, are unique to southern Britain and northern France. They are under threat from today’s increased demands for water and the growing impacts of climate change.

The film, and the WWF campaign of the same name, reminds everyone that simple steps to reduce our water use in the home can help save these unique rivers – along with the abundance of native wildlife they support.

As Charles says, these rivers are ours to look after – they’re our rainforest, our glaciers.

The film can be seen on the WWF website on:

http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/safeguarding_the_natural_world/rivers_and_lakes/rivers_on_the_edge_film_.cfm

The film is now also on YouTube at:

England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSDFI) is a project that was launched in April 2006, funded by Defra and delivered by the Environment Agency and Natural England. There are 50 priority catchments in England, where we are working with farmers to reduce diffuse water pollution from agriculture. The Avon is one of these catchments.

The non-regulatory initiative is both free and confidential, working towards improving the environment and farm business by offering advice and incentives to promote changes in management practises – in the last 3 years £486,000 has been spent on capital grants items such as water course fencing, clean and dirty water separation in farm yards and roofing stock yards and manure storage areas in the Avon catchment.

Workshops held this year have been focusing on improving soil structure in arable fields to reduce soil run-off, this help prevent siltation and nutrient enrichment of the Avon. ECSFDI through a number of specialist one to one visits and soil sampling we are helping farmers take into account nutrients available in the soil and organic manures and balancing this with the need of the crop.

Over half way through the project now and all is going to plan so far.

The new gravel berms at the top of the stretch are complete and although the ground is quite bare now it won’t take long for the bank of seeds in the soil to start growing.

The ponds look excellent and will provide a good variety of habitat next to the river, hopefully for frogs, newts and snakes once the covering vegetation has grown back.

The water level on the River Avon is not just dependant on rain fall – there are many control structures on the river that hold water back or direct the water on a different route.

For several years now, the Water Level Management Plan team at the Environment Agency in Blandford have been working to improve water levels on the River Avon and it’s tributaries, so that the levels are maximised for wildlife, but at the same time balancing the human need and flood risk. Such a project can involve repairing sluice structures so they are safe to operate and provide fish passage; restoring water meadow channels to provide habitat diversity and flood storage; enhancing the features of structures, such as providing bat boxes or otter holts; installing gauge boards; and reviewing the operation of the structures so that they are managed in an agreed way under different flow conditions. This is because the same structures that can support wetland interests, can also obstruct fish passage at times or create extensive impoundment and siltation issues. Sometimes the structures have great historical significance and are classed as listed buildings, so they have to be restored very sympathetically, but in some instances, new solutions can utilise recycled materials to limit the carbon footprint.

The WLMP team will have completed twelve projects on the River Avon system this year: work stops in November due to fisheries restrictions, but will begin again next summer.