Upstream Thinking

Project summary

Funding from The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development was awarded to the South West Peak Landscape Partnership to support our Upstream Thinking project which complemented funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Upstream Thinking drew on the experience of farmers and local landowners to improve water quality by increasing understanding, capital investment and natural flood management in the South West Peak. By supporting sustainable upstream land management, far-reaching water quality improvements were achieved.

Upstream Thinking included a range of work including producing farm water & soil plans to help reduce diffuse pollution, removing non-native invasive species, stock-fencing alongside watercourses to protect them from diffuse pollution and create new habitats. The project also worked to restore habitats like wet heath and blanket bog which retain a large amount of water and act as natural filters to slow the flow of water into local rivers and filter out many impurities. This benefits us all by encouraging natural processes to maintain healthy rivers; and healthy water makes for healthy communities.

Volunteers supported this project by helping with tree planting and the targeted removal of invasive Himalayan Balsam.

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