Latest News Update

In this issue:

Supporting Rivers at Risk on BBC Look North

Tees-Swale Naturally Connected starts work in Swaledale

Team day out at Denton Reserve

Our corporate volunteering events featured in Yorkshire Life!

Ousewem project delivers

New project - Ashfoldside Beck

Rivers4Life engages with care home

Meet new NFM assistant project officer Patrick Lane

Tees-Swale Naturally Connected starts in Swaledale!

We have now started work on an environmental restoration project focusing on improving water quality in Barney Beck, Swaledale, an area historically impacted by lead mining.

Nearly 150 km of rivers in Swaledale are polluted by metals - lead, cadmium and zinc - released by abandoned metal mines, with Barney Beck in Upper Swaledale being one of the most heavily polluted rivers.

The initiative, which we are leading with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority as part of the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines progamme (a partnership with the Mining Remediation Authority and Environment Agency), aims to reduce pollution seeping into the beck using innovative, nature-based techniques that promote vegetation growth and limit erosion, whilst respecting the area's industrial heritage and sensitive wildlife habitats. This project builds on our work in Teesdale at Little Eggleshope, Great Eggleshope and Marl Beck which you can read about here .

Find out more about the Barney Beck project via the button below:

Photo: Old Gang Lead Mine by David Armitage

Team day at Denton Reserve

Staff and trustees recently enjoyed an enlightening day at the Denton Reserve near Ilkley. Since its purchase in 2021, the 2500 acre estate has been committed to demonstrating that nature recovery at scale and food production can support each other. Following talks by estate director Nick Bailey and Abigail Mace, our farming and conservation officer who described the FiPL funded water quality assessments that we have collaboratively delivered over two years, led by Addingham Environment Group’s Professor Rick Battarbee and a number of other organisations, including Liverpool University. We also carried out River Condition Assessments across the reserve’s main watercourses, delivered in collaboration with Calder Colne Rivers Trust. Later in the day we spent time looking at the reserves early stages of moving towards making space for nature and regenerative based farming practices and were able to see some of the early uplifts in nature and inevitable benefits for water storage, nature and wildlife.

Photo: Nick Bailey showing us part of the Denton Estate.

Our corporate volunteering events featured in Yorkshire Life!

We were delighted to see the September issue of county lifestyle magazine, Yorkshire Life showcase our corporate volunteering offer. Focusing on the two days we’ve worked with ITV’s Emmerdale, it presents a real flavour of not only the variety of volunteering experiences we can offer, but how they enrich employees understanding of the issues facing our waterways. In the case of Emmerdale the days also support the show’s commitment to extending environmental sustainability beyond the workplace.

Find out more about our corporate volunteering offer for businesses via the button below.

And - look out for our river enhancement project manager Sarah, who talks about her favourite 24 hours in the Yorkshire Dales in the November issue of Yorkshire Life!

Photo: Yorkshire Life magazine

Ousewem project delivers!

Our Ousewem Natural Flood Management (NFM) project at Hauxwell upstream from Hunton, has now been delivered after more than two years of planning. In just two weeks we have created an 8ha wetland comprising scrapes and channel re-wiggling to capture, store and slow the flow of water and to provide new habitats. We are still in the process of planting up this new wetland with sedges, rushes and marginal species such as bog marigold, water mint and flag iris – but as you can see it is already looking great!
We also have another opportunity coming up for farmers and landowners in the Reeth and Swaledale areas to learn from experts about soil fertility, hear how to interpret soil reports, and take advantage of free soil testing. This is specifically for farmers in the Arkle, Widdale, or Gayle Beck catchments. The date is likely to be in November at the Buck Inn, Reeth with a complimentary lunch. Please register your interest via the button below:

Photo: Scarpes and re-wiggling at Hauxwell.

New project - Ashfoldside Beck

The Ashfoldside Beck Water Quality Improvement Project, which is joint funded by the Water Restoration Fund administered by the Rural Payments Agency and Defra through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines programme, aims to tackle the heavy metal pollution caused by historic lead mining in the Nidd catchment. Headed up by Ellen Shields our new project manager for diffuse metal pollution, this project aims to develop effective remediation strategies at the Providence and Prosperous mine sites to reduce contaminated water entering the river, improve water quality and support the long-term restoration of the aquatic ecosystem. We look forward to providing updates as this project progresses.

Photo: Ashfoldside Beck by Ellen Shields

Meet new NFM project officer, Patrick Lane

We have another new team member to announce this month - Patrick Lane - who has joined the Ousewem team supporting the delivery of Natural Flood Management (NFM) projects across the Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse catchments.

With a BSc in Rural Land Management, work experience with Forestry England as a Graduate Land Agent, project managing stakeholder engagement and agri-environment schemes, along with a very recently achieved MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Leeds,  Patrick will be a great asset to the team!