Green Light for Bioreactor Installation at a Local Farm

A bioreactor is a fairly simple structure with the centre of the structure comprised of woodchip. The structure is installed underground at the end of a field drain and connected with diversion and overflow structures to control the flow of water through the system.

One of these bioreactors is being installed at a local farm near Southam to monitor how effective it is at removing nitrate from field drains in the local area. Research undertaken by local field drainage consultant Rob Burtonshaw and fellows in America has shown that these structures can remove over 95% of nitrate from field drains (Granger & Buckley, 2007).

If this pioneering work is successful it could help farmers and land managers reduce the volume of nitrate and phosphate lost from farmland, reducing the cost of water treatment, and helping to limit further restrictions on fertiliser use and constraints laid out within NVZ’s.

Keep following our blog to find out how well this new project works....

Invertebrate Monitoring on the River Itchen & River Leam

River invertebrates provide a good indication of the water quality of our rivers and are susceptible to sedimentation, pollution incidents, and variations in flow. Working with a number of farmers in the Leam catchment we have monitored river invertebrates in areas which have been prone to cattle poaching the banks.  

A number of these landowners have agreed to fencing off the river from livestock in order to reduce sedimentation and keep their valuable topsoil where it should be! Once the fencing is complete we shall return and do some more river invertebrate monitoring to see if there are any improvements in the number and diversity of invertebrates found.

We'll keep you posted!

FREE TREE PLANTING FOR RIVERBANK AREAS

Tree planting and livestock fencing helps reduce poaching of the banks and provides good habitat for wildlife

If you have narrow areas along a riverbank you would like planting to help avoid sheep and cattle accessing the river, poaching the banks and losing your valuable top soil then please get in touch. The Severn Rivers Trust have funding courtesy of the Woodland Trust for planting trees near to rivers in the Leam Catchment.  

Trees provide a fantastic way of keeping topsoil where it should be, they provide shelter for livestock during the summer and during heavy rainfall and they help keep rivers cool, thus providing a valuable habitat for aquatic invertebrates and fish; not to mention the habitat benefits for terrestrial wildlife!!

For More information please contact your local Catchment Officer Melissa on 07584 569429 or email her Melissa@severnriverstrust.com

http://severnriverstrust.com/

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk