News

We have teamed up with Guide over Sands Trust for a charity walk across the Leven Estuary from Sandgate to Chapel Island! On the 23rd July 2022, participants will walk for South Cumbria Rivers Trust and ticket money will go towards conserving, protecting, monitoring and rehabilitating the aquatic environments of South Cumbria. So how about joining us? The first year the walk is available to the public, this 4-5 mile route across the Leven estuary to Chapel Island, is going…

South Cumbria Rivers Trust have been working up a proposal to remove Bowston weir since 2017. Bowston weir is a three metre high structure that spans the width of the River Kent at Bowston, above Burneside, Kendal. Last week, South Lakeland District Council held a planning committee meeting, where the Bowston weir removal application was heard, discussed and voted upon. Councillors approved the application for removal. SCRT will now be working towards the removal, due to take place this summer,…

Some SCRT staff and our volunteers have attended a priority habitats and species training session run by Freshwater Biological Association (FBA), who have recently appointed a new priority habitats officer. The training was made available through the National Priority Habitats Scheme which runs in partnership with Natural England. This was the first training session since FBA funding was granted, with more sessions to follow this year. The intention of the training is to gather information on priority river and lake…

Every year, South Cumbria Rivers Trust carry out Electrofishing surveys in the rivers and becks of South Cumbria. This survey technique allows us to assess salmonid populations, assess how effective habitat improvement works have been and look for further habitat improvement works in the future. Jayne, our catchment planning and delivery officer, has compiled all the data from the surveys conducted in 2021. You can find the report here: 2021 Electrofishing Report

Meet our new project officer, Emma Wright, who started with SCRT just before the Christmas period.  Emma has been appointed to work on the new and exciting LIFE R4Ever Kent Project, that plans to restore and revive the River Kent (SSSI/SAC) helping species recover, making the designated features more resilient to environmental pressures. The River Kent is designated for its Ranunculion habitat (aka water-crowfoot; a freshwater plant), freshwater pearl mussel, bullhead and white clawed crayfish. It is also however, impacted…

Trustees and staff at South Cumbria Rivers Trust would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you to all the volunteers who worked with us throughout the year, for your ongoing and unwavering support, especially during these difficult times. We will be back in 2022 to help drive further local improvements to our watercourses for the benefit of people and wildlife. Look out for some exciting opportunities to help plant some reedbeds…

Our new Windermere and water quality document is now available. You can find it in the ABOUT US section of the website, under STATEMENTS OF WORKING or click this link to find out more: Windermere and Water Quality

The United Utilities supported CaST project, Windermere Reedbed Restoration got underway this autumn. We’re aiming to create and restore 800sq.m of reedbed, through practical work and engagement with local communities. Reedbeds are a vital Biodiversity Action Plan Habitat (BAP) as well key to intercepting sediments and pollutants but have declined around Windermere by 80%. Whilst we wait for water levels and weather conditions to be right for the practical work we got on with some engagement. Students from the University…

A report created by an SCRT volunteer for the Rothay catchment is now available. This report outlines the Himalayan Balsam infestation around this catchment area and the future steps required to alleviate the spread of this invasive species. You can read the report here: Rothay Himalayan Balsam Report 2021 With thanks to our volunteers who work tirelessly year after year to eradicate this invasive species from South Cumbria. Without whom this invasive would continue to spread, causing damage to our…

South Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT) have recently delivered a project to re-connect Great Langdale beck into the middle basin of Elterwater. During September 2021, SCRT worked with landowners National Trust, the Environment Agency and Natural England to create some shallow scrapes through the woodland between Great Langdale Beck and middle basin. Elterwater is a Site of Special Scientific Interest formed of the connected basins (inner, middle and outer). Historic pollution from a Wastewater Treatment Works on inner basin, and the…