Confluence is the bi-annual newsletter of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Confluence is packed with all of the latest news on the work of the Trust and what is happening in river restoration and conservation across the Westcountry. The Autumn 2012 edition was a special edition about the Trust's River Improvement Projects funded by the Environment Agency's Catchment Restoration Fund earlier in the year.

2. 2
CONTENTS
DIRECTORS COMMENTS 3
TRUST NEWS:
CATCHMENT RESTORATION FUND 4
WATER CONFERENCE 4
HOUSE OF LORDS 5
THE TAMAR CATCHMENT PLAN 6
PRECIOUS PEARL MUSSELS 7
SPECIAL FEATURE:
RIVER RESTORATION 8
MONITORING FOR SUCCESS 10
GOING WITH THE FLOW 13
RIVER HABITAT RESTORATION 14
ANGLING NEWS 16
DEBATE:VALUING NATURE 17
EDUCATION 18
WRT DIGITAL 19
Cover Photo: A large stonefly. Photo by David Chapman.
Editors: Lucy Morris and Nick Paling
Contributors: Dylan Bright, Layla Lidster, Giles Rickard, Lucy Morris,
Joe Morris, David Chapman and Nick Paling.
© Copyright: Westcountry Rivers Trust, 2012.
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of
the Westcountry Rivers Trust or the trustees thereof and
responsibility cannot be accepted for opinions herein. Whilst
advertising is welcomed, such advertising and/or logos do not
constitute Westcountry Rivers Trust endorsements of the products,
services or companies involved.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust is a registered charitable limited
company (Charity No: 1135007, Company No: 06545646).
Printed by
Assessing the health of a river ecosystem
© Ross Hoddinott ‐ 2020 Vision

3. 3
COMMENT
WRT is going back to basics
sought to position ecology as one of the central measures of
successful environmental sustainability. This Directive is
pragmatic; it does not seek to measure everything, but rather it
assesses indicators of ecosystem function as a central measure of
our success. Importantly, it focuses on water, which is the final
resting place of much of the pollution arising from unsustainable
practices.
At the Westcountry Rivers Trust, we were delighted with this
development and we, and others, felt that this was one of the
most important pieces of environmental legislation ever produced.
Little did we know that this would be the snowball that set off the
avalanche.
Since 2000, many groups, including the Trust, have sought to take
the aspiration further to include all environmental services within a
planning framework. This would ensure that we work within
environmental limits while continuing to receive all of the services
that society needs from the environment. Now this may sound like
the idealistic fancy of an intellectual, like Sir Thomas More’s
‘Utopia’. However, in reality it is perfectly possible to get all we
need from the environment, while not diminishing it. What is
more, it is probably the more profitable option in the short‐term,
as well as being the only option in the longer term. The key for us,
is to place the environment at the centre of our economic models
in the future and manage it as a finite, but regenerating resource,
rather than an infinite one.
In this issue of Confluence we will be discussing how we are using
ecology to measure environmental health and we will be
presenting some practical approaches to restoring ecological
function.
Dr Dylan Bright
Trust Director
“Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our
children’s lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure
of how we live on the land.” Luna B. Leopold
Luna Leopold was a scientist, writer and educator. His studies of
rivers and their flows and movements have provided enduring
insights into how rivers shape themselves and shape the land. His
famous quotation inspired my career, because within it he
recognises a simple truth: we are entirely dependent on a
functioning environment and so its health should be the ultimate
indicator of the sustainability of society.
There are many examples of societies and civilisations scattered
throughout human history and across the globe that have
overlooked this link; from the Greenland Norse to the Easter
Islanders and from the Polynesians of Pitcairn Island to the Maya
of Central America. The main failure arises from what economists
refer to as a ‘tragedy of the commons’. This is the depletion of a
shared resource by individuals, acting independently and
rationally according to each one’s self‐interest. In order to avoid
this, an understanding is required of the total carrying capacity of
our environment; how much of a natural resource can be used
while still ensuring that the resource has the capacity to recover,
regrow and replenish itself? We also need a process that enables
us to centrally manage our use of resources within those limits.
You would think that, knowing all this and looking haughtily back
over the long history of collapsed societies, we would have
established mechanisms to measure the health of the
environment, which we could use to manage its use sustainably.
Well, you would be wrong!
Only as recently as 2000 have we seen the introduction of a piece
of legislation, the EU Water Framework Directive, that has finally

4. 4
TRUST NEWS
Dylan Bright addresses Chinese delegation
Rapid move to catch Restoration Funds
THE START OF 2012 SAW THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY DEFRA OF A £28 MILLION
CATCHMENT RESTORATION FUND (CRF), TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR RIVER
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN ENGLAND OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
In just two short weeks, Westcountry Rivers Trust staff compiled detailed bids for CRF‐
funded projects in catchments across the South West and were successful in winning
over £4 million of funding for six major new river restoration projects.
CRF Projects will take place on the Dart and Teign, the Axe and Exe, the rivers of the
South Hams, the rivers of South Cornwall and the River Taw. These projects are largely
aimed at improving the ecological condition of failing waterbodies through the
implementation of practical, on‐the‐ground measures (see our Special Feature on our
Catchment Restoration Projects in this edition of Confluence).
“The bids from the Westcountry Rivers Trust exemplified what the Catchment Restoration
Fund aims to do; consider the catchment as a whole, solve problems through working with a
range of partners and, most of all, deliver benefits across society. Water is essential for life
and livelihoods. These projects will restore a more balanced approach to land and water
management in order to sustain both people and wildlife in the future.”
David Baxter, Head of Catchment Management, Environment Agency
EUWATER Project Conference
THE WATER PROJECT WAS SET UP TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF WETTED LAND WITHIN A CATCHMENT AND TO EXAMINE THE
TECHNIQUES AND ECONOMICS OF RESTORATION. NOW IN ITS THIRD AND FINAL YEAR, THE PROJECT CULMINATED IN JUNE WITH
A CONFERENCE IN EXETER, WHICH SAW THE PUBLICATION OF A 24‐PAGE PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES GUIDE.
Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) is a mechanism for investing in the restoration and protection of the natural environment, in this
case river and catchment restoration. During a full day of presentations and lively discussion, the partners of the WATER project
presented their findings and set out the two main objectives of the project; firstly, a web mounted catchment portal that identifies the
different interests and brokers working across our river catchments; and secondly, a printed guide aimed at setting up PES projects.
BBC Spotlight film project officers Layla
Lidster and Giles Rickard for the news
The Trust has worked closely with South West Water in developing and delivering their
innovative PES initiative, the Upstream Thinking Project. South West Water are
investing in restoration of land to improve water quality at source, prior to abstraction,
rather than paying the costs of cleaning the water post‐abstraction.
This initiative is linked with the WATER project and was used as an in‐depth case study
for the conference, detailing how the scheme originated, the mechanisms and legal
framework within which it is delivered and how the costs and benefits are assessed.
On the day following the conference, delegates had the opportunity to visit two of the
sites on Exmoor that have benefited from restoration work and to see the
improvements resulting from South West Water’s investment.
This innovative and now award winning initiative has paved the way in the new
economics of catchment restoration and the WATER conference was a great success in
showcasing what can be achieved through Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes.
Many thanks to all those who contributed to the success of
the conference, including the speakers Marie‐Helene
Philippe, Arlin Rickard, Ronan Girard, Martin Ross, Laurie
Smith and Adrian Collins, as well as Trust staff Laurence
Couldrick, Hazel Kendall, Nick Paling and Lucy Morris.
A copy of the guide is available on request from WRT or you
can downloaded it at www.wrt.org.uk/WATERPESGuide.pdf.

5. 5
TRUST NEWS
Trust Director at the House of Lords
RECOGNITION OF THE TRUST’S WORK AND VISION HAS CONTINUED TO GROW IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR AND IN
FEBRUARY TRUST DIRECTOR, DR DYLAN BRIGHT, WAS INVITED TO GIVE EVIDENCE AT THE HOUSE OF LORDS EU SELECT
COMMITTEE INQUIRY ON EU FRESHWATER POLICY.
During the hour‐long session, Dr Bright was quizzed intensively on his views on the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and its delivery
both here in the UK and across Europe. The Lords listened with interest as Dr Bright explained how the Trust’s approach to water, land
and environmental management, through Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes, could help deliver WFD objectives. He also
explained that such an approach could deliver a good proportion of the UK’s biodiversity and recreational aspirations, as well as improving
flood and drought defence and carbon sequestration capabilities. The Lords were particularly interested in the potential of applying the
Trusts PES catchment management approach in the wider European context.
Dr Bright emphasised to the Lords the importance of good, well‐informed rural spatial planning and how, through engagement with local
communities, businesses and organisations it is possible to develop a workable and strategic catchment management plan. This plan can
then be implemented through the creation of appropriate economic markets at a local level. Dr Bright cited the Trust’s work with South
West Water on their Upstream Thinking initiative as an example of this approach .
When questioned by the Lords on potential measures the government might implement to support this approach, Dr Bright stressed the
need for simplified but more effective regulation. Alongside better regulation should come an alignment of incentives, such as the
redirection of CAP payments and agri‐environment subsidies, into locally approved catchment plans. He also suggested that a new
governance structure could be created in order to give catchment management plans a democratic mandate, recognising catchment
boundaries as planning units for rural spatial planning and supporting the creation of new, local economic markets for ecosystem services.
In the Chairman’s final remarks, the Lords thanked Dr Bright for “a most stimulating session”.
“Yes, he does seem to be talking a lot of sense…but where are his shoes?”

6. 6
Trust pilots its approach to catchment management
OUR APPROACH TO CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT HAS ALWAYS PLACED A STRONG EMPHASIS ON ENGAGING AND WORKING WITH
INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNERS, BUSINESSES AND ORGANISATIONS IN ORDER TO DELIVER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THE
GROUND. THIS YEAR, THE TRUST IS HOSTING ONE OF DEFRA’S PILOT CATCHMENTS AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS AN ENTIRE CATCHMENT WITH THE AIM OF DEVELOPING AN AMBITIOUS
INTEGRATED CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE TAMAR.
Over 60 delegates, representing businesses,
public bodies, local interest groups and
other third sector organisations from across
the Tamar catchment, attended the project
launch at Roadford Lake in March.
The River Tamar and its catchment provides
a variety of resources and benefits to all
those who live and work within the
catchment. It provides a place to grow food
and to enjoy recreation. It provides us with
water to drink as well as the capacity to
store water, providing protection against
flood and drought. There are habitats
important for rare species and biodiversity
within the catchment and some of these
also play a significant role in sequestering
carbon.
However, management of the catchment
for delivery of these resources and benefits
is currently thought to be undertaken in a
rather fragmented way.
At the launch meeting, delegates took part
in round‐table discussions to explore their
ideas on where in the catchment these
ecosystem services are, or could be,
delivered.
Stakeholders were also invited to contribute
to a series of follow‐up working groups, to
be run over the summer months, which had
the aim of identifying and mapping broad
areas within the catchment that they
considered important for the delivery of
specific ecosystem services.
For example, recreational groups might be
interested in access to the river, but this
could be considered more important near
towns and villages than it is in very rural
parts of the catchment. Likewise, many
conservation organisations are concerned
with protecting rare habitats and species
within the catchment, but these could be
enhanced more effectively if connectivity
between fragmented habitats was
improved.
Seven working groups were formed and the
meetings that have taken place over recent
months have been attended by a total of
100 stakeholders. Tapping into the
combined expertise of these many and
diverse stakeholders has enabled the
collation of existing data and information
about the catchment in order to map areas
where ecosystem services are currently
provided. Stakeholders have also prioritised
areas where there may be opportunities for
the enhanced provision of these ecosystem
services in the future.
The seven working groups have
encompassed ecological networks for
wildlife, carbon sequestration, provision of
fresh water, recreation and culture,
regulation of water resources and the
provision of food. Another working group
has also been established to address the
issue of location‐specific pollution within
the catchment and another has been asked
to consider the practicalities of engaging
and educating the wider public in the issues
raised during the project.
Bringing stakeholders from the Tamar catchment together

7. 7
TRUST NEWS
A precious pearl river
IN FEBRUARY 2012 NORTH DEVON AONB, THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE, THE
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY AND THE TARKA COUNTRY TRUST COMMISSIONED THE
TRUST TO ASSESS AVAILABILITY OF POTENTIAL HABITAT FOR A VERY RARE AND
THREATENED PEARL MUSSEL SPECIES ON THE RIVER MOLE IN DEVON.
The River Mole supports a variety of protected species, including the intriguing pearl
mussel. Historically, these rare molluscs were found in numerous Devon catchments
including the Tamar, Exe, Dart, Teign and Torridge. However, only two catchments (the
Taw and the Torridge) still support small pearl mussel populations and today this globally
threatened species has been lost from all but seven English rivers.
This decline is thought to be largely due to pearl mussels being very sensitive to changes
in their environment and, as such, their presence indicates an extremely healthy river
system. Each individual pearl mussel acts as a filter, clarifying the water by removing
micro‐organisms and particulate matter, on which they feed.
A distinguishing characteristic of the pearl mussel’s life cycle is the larval stage, during
which they attach themselves to the gills of salmonids as they make their way upstream
in the late summer. The juveniles then drop off the host once in the upper reaches of the
river, burying themselves in clean, coarse sand where they will remain to feed and grow
into adults.
Pearl mussels can live up to 120 years of age and the adults are capable of reproduction
until they die. However, the juveniles cannot survive in silted substrates, where the
gravels and sand on the river bottom become clogged with silt due to poor land
management practices. This dramatically reduces the supply of clean, well‐oxygenated
water available to the young mussels nestled in the substrate, resulting in very high
mortality rates. This near total loss of offspring has resulted in ageing populations and
some of the youngest pearl mussels in the Torridge are thought to be around 40 years
old!
The pilot project undertaken by the Trust involved recruiting and training 17 local
volunteers to carry out habitat walkover surveys. The surveys indicated that, although
there were areas of the River Mole with good potential for supporting pearl mussels,
there were a multitude of issues that would need to be addressed before a population
could be viably sustained.
Through conducting surveys and establishing appropriate and effective management
techniques, it is hoped that sites with the potential to support pearl mussel beds can be
optimised in the future, helping to secure a future for this remarkable species.
Adult freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Image: Joel Berglund
The task ahead is now to draw together the
outputs of the working groups and overlay
the resulting maps to identify areas where
there is complementarity or conflict in the
provision of services. The final map will
highlight areas in the catchment that are
important for delivery of multiple services
and, in the final meetings of the working
groups, stakeholders will discuss ways in
which they might be able to work together
and channel funding towards improving
the delivery of ecosystem services in target
areas.
The ultimate aim of piloting this approach
is to develop a unifying, stakeholder‐led
and spatially informed catchment
management plan for the river Tamar, that
draws together all the different interests
within the catchment.
The Trust hopes this process will enable
potential funding sources to be utilised to
deliver maximum gains, ensuring that the
Tamar catchment continues to provide its
communities with all of the services that
they depend on.

8. 8
SPECIAL FEATURE
ONE OF THE CENTRAL AIMS OF THE TRUST’S NEW CATCHMENT RESTORATION FUND (CRF) PROJECTS IS TO
IMPROVE THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF MANY OF THE RIVERS IN THE SOUTH WEST. IN THIS SPECIAL FEATURE
WE EXPLORE WHAT IS MEANT BY THE ‘ECOLOGICAL HEALTH’ OF A RIVER AND DESCRIBE SOME OF THE
PRACTICAL METHODS WE WILL BE USING, ON‐THE‐GROUND, TO IMPROVE IT.
RIVER RESTORATION
Ecology is the study not just of the abundance and distribution of
living organisms, but also the relationships they have with each
other and the non‐living environment they inhabit.
All species have a niche; they are biologically adapted, to varying
degrees of specificity, in order to live in their environment. The
variety of different habitats and species is what we term
biodiversity and species interact with their habitats, both living
and non‐living, to form complex ecosystems. Every organism has a
role to play in the ecosystem of which it is a part.
So, what do we mean when we talk about the health of an
ecosystem and how can health be restored?
What we are really talking about is the ability of an ecosystem to
perform its natural processes, to maintain the abundance and
diversity of life that it supports and to restore itself after suffering
external disturbances.
An assessment of ecological condition enables us to evaluate to
what extent the direct or indirect effects of human activities have
damaged the ecosystem, resulting in loss of carrying capacity,
functionality and biodiversity.
There are a myriad of different factors that influence the diversity
and abundance of living organisms; the age, size and abundance of
living organisms; the age, size and connectedness of the habitat of
Taw River Improvement Project (TRIP)
TRIP is £1.8 million project that will address fish migration
issues throughout the River Taw catchment, through weir
removals and installation of fish passes.
South Hams River Improvement Project (SHRImP)
The main aims of the £700,000 SHRImP is to reduce
sedimentation and nutrient enrichment, improve passage for
fish past obstacles and address issues relating to pH.
.
South Cornwall River Improvement Project (SCRIP)
SCRIP is a £430,000 project that will address issues resulting
from the region’s long history of clay extraction and the heavy
modification and canalisation of river channels.

9. 9
SPECIAL FEATURE
Ecological Status and the Water
Framework Directive
River condition assessments for the Water Framework Directive
are currently undertaken in the UK by the Environment Agency
using methodologies agreed with the UK Technical Advisory
Group (UK TAG) and recommendations for remedial catchment
management interventions are made through River Basin
Management Plans (RBMPs).
For surface waters, such as rivers and lakes, the ‘overall status’ of
a waterbody is comprised of an ecological and a chemical
component. The ecological status of a waterbody is primarily
measured using a series of biological parameters and is recorded
on the scale high, good, moderate, poor and bad, with moderate
or worse being regarded as failure.
To determine a WFD classification the degree of disturbance to
each quality element is assessed against a ‘reference value or set
of values’ for that element. A reference value for a biological
quality element is the level predicted to occur when a river is
subjected to no, or only very minor, alteration as a result of
human disturbance.
UKTAG recommends that reference conditions should reflect ‘a
state in the present or in the past corresponding to very low
pressure, without the effects of major industrialisation,
urbanisation and intensification of agriculture’. In broad terms, a
classification of good ecological status is applied to natural water
bodies that show only slight variation from their undisturbed
natural condition.
In addition to the biological characterisation of waterbody
condition these classifications are also supported by assessments
of three additional components of the environment: physical
structure (morphology), flow and water levels (hydrology) and
general water quality (physico‐chemistry).
which they are a part; the topography, geology and altitude of the
region where the habitat is located; and the hours of daylight,
amount of rainfall and the temperature of that region, are just a
few.
A benign physical environment, where temperatures are moderate
and consistent, and rainfall is regular, often provides good
conditions for life, while variety in topography, geology, hydrology
and soils, as well as variety in the living, biological environment,
provide a multitude of niches in which a diverse range of species
can thrive.
Within a river system, water moves over and through the
landscape which has a varied geology and soils, from the
headwaters in the mountains or moors, through bogs, heaths and
steep wooded valleys, though grasslands and marshes in the
floodplain, all the way down to the sea. The characteristics of a
particular landscape affect the way water moves through it; its
temperature and its chemical properties. At the same time, water
moving through a landscape lifts, carries and deposits materials;
helping to mould and shape the landscape around it and to move
the non‐living and the living biological elements laterally,
longitudinally and vertically throughout the aquatic ecosystem.
These complex, dynamic, high energy interactions influence the
structure of a river, from the slope and height of the river banks
and the depth of the channel, to the substrates that line the river
bed. Opportunities for species to evolve and adapt to colonise
new niches abound in this ecologically diverse environment.
Here in the Westcountry, the three primary causes of decline in
ecosystem health and loss of biodiversity are water pollution,
flow modification and the destruction and degradation of habitat.
It is these causes of damage that the Catchment Restoration
Fund projects aim to address.
The map (left) shows the catchments we will be working in for our
various Catchment Restoration Fund Projects and gives a description of
the main activities we will be undertaking for each. Axe & Exe River Improvement Project (AERIP)
AERIP is a £670,000 project aimed at reducing sediment load
and nutrient enrichment, easements for fish migration and
improvements of gravels for fish spawning.
Dart & Teign River Improvement Project (DTRIP)
DTRIP is a £500,000 Project aimed at reducing sedimentation,
improving spawning gravels, as well as addressing issues
resulting from road run‐off and low moorland pH.
.

10. 10
SPECIAL FEATURE
Establishing a baseline and monitoring success
The Trust has a well established method of carrying out river
walkover surveys to record habitat type and condition both in‐
channel and in the riparian zone. At the same time, the surveyor
will identify problems such as obstacles to fish passage,
modifications to the channel or areas where the habitat has
become degraded. These surveys help to identify and locate
potential causes of poor ecological condition and inform where we
target works on the ground to best deliver improvements.
However, it is also essential that we record the success, or
otherwise, of the works carried out and we have a suite of
monitoring tools that can be used to do this.
The first step in this process is to establish a baseline, from which
we can judge the effectiveness of restoration work. This involves
collating and evaluating all pre‐existing data, held by public
bodies, local interest groups and other organisations, and utilising
the Trust’s extensive, in‐house, knowledge of Westcountry rivers
in order to build up a detailed picture of the condition of each
waterbody and of the catchment as a whole.
Where there are gaps in the coverage of this data, we will be
undertaking further survey and monitoring activities, both pre and
post‐restoration work. Some of the more unusual monitoring
techniques we will be using for the River Improvement Projects
include:
Temperature and pH Monitoring
Extreme fluctuations in the temperature and acidity of the water
can have a detrimental effect on a variety of species, including
invertebrates and fish. These fluctuations can be easily recorded
using an electronic device called a data‐logger.
These devices are placed in‐stream, usually for a period of one
month, where they then record data on temperature and pH. The
ability to record data frequently over a long period of time enables
an evaluation to be made of the extent of fluctuations in a variety
of different flow and weather conditions.
Diatom Sampling
Diatoms are a diverse and ancient group of algae numbering many
tens of thousands of species. They photosynthesise, are often
single‐celled and are found in both marine and freshwater
environments.
The availability of nutrients is one of the key factors in determining
which species of diatom can survive in any given waterbody and,
as such, analysing the diatom communities present in a river or a
stream can give a very good indication of whether there is, or has
been, nutrient enrichment.
As with the data loggers, diatom sampling gives a better indication
of overall water quality than infrequent water sampling, as this
approach can often fail to capture data during peak events and the
algae are in the river ‘sampling’ their environment every day
throughout the year.
In‐situ real‐time water quality monitoring
To assess the pollutant loads present in our rivers and to identify
from where in the catchment they are derived from, we will also be
deploying a series of automatic samplers or sondes (from the
French for probe). These devices (shown below), when placed into
the river or stream, record the chemical composition of the water
passing over their sensors at regular intervals and store the data
internally or transmit it back to a database on the internet. These
data can help us to understand how the levels of different
chemicals in the water change over time and can indicate which
tributaries are contributing the most pollution under certain
conditions (such as after rainfall or during periods of low flow).
These various specialised methods, combined with the more
commonplace (but equally important) survey and sampling
techniques we use, such as fish population monitoring and
invertebrate sampling (see special sections on following pages),
provide the tools with which the Catchment Restoration Fund
Project officers can accurately monitor their progress over the
coming three years.
Electrofishing is a great method of monitoring fish populations
Image: Paul Glendell

11. 11
SPECIAL FEATURE
Assessing the condition of fish populations
Electrofishing is one of the most effective methods available to quantify, assess and monitor fish populations; both within and between
waterbodies. Electrofishing involves creating an electric field in the water that temporarily immobilises the fish or influences the
direction in which they swim, making them relatively easy to capture with a dip net. The voltage of the electric current and mass of the
fish determine the strength of the effect and, if used correctly and according to the guidelines, the fish are unharmed and recover fully.
It is important that the conductivity of the water is measured at each individual site, so that voltage settings and other parameters can
be adjusted where appropriate.
Electrofishing surveys can either be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative electrofishing is used to capture a snapshot of the fish
population, giving an indication of the species present (or any notable absences) and their age classes. In contrast, quantitative
sampling requires a more structured approach, with a defined area, typically 100m2
, fished repeatedly having been isolated using stop
nets at the top and bottom of the river section. This method allows an accurate count of the number of fish to be made and, by
recording the species, age and size of the fish caught, the results are entirely comparative between different sites and over time.
The majority of electrofishing undertaken by the Westcountry Rivers Trust is classified as semi‐quantitative, a method that
concentrates on recording the presence or absence of different species, the sizes of the fish caught and the abundance of juvenile fish.
Unlike quantitative electrofishing surveys, semi‐quantitative surveys are comparable because they are always undertaken for a fixed
time period of five minutes and each site is surveyed with the same level of effort. The advantage of this approach is that it is quick to
undertake a survey and so multiple sites across a catchment to be surveyed each year without prohibitive cost implications.
Results recorded from electrofishing sites across a catchment can be used to assess the distribution and density of juvenile fish, which
in turn enables us to estimate the number of adults that were present the previous year and the health of the fish population. The
results can also be used to compare tributaries in the same catchment or sections within the same river, which is particularly important
in identifying where density is below desired levels and ensures that river improvement works are targeted into the right locations and
that any improvements achieved are accurately recorded.
As part of the CRF River Improvement Projects, the Trust will be undertaking electro‐fishing surveys across catchments to improve our
understanding of fish distributions in these areas. There will also be monitoring of specific sites pre‐ and post‐works to assess the
benefits of river improvements works such as weir easements, gravel re‐introduction, pool and riffle‐sequence creation and fencing.

12. 12
SPECIAL FEATURE
Using invertebrate populations to assess river health
The evaluation of invertebrate communities living in a river or stream is one of the best methods we have for assessing the impacts of
environmental stress on the health of an aquatic ecosystem. Invertebrates that spend all, or part, of their lifecycle living in a river or lake
are, while in the water, constantly exposed to changes in the structural composition of the river bed, in the volume of water in the river
and in the chemical composition of the water flowing over them.
To assess the health of the invertebrate communities in a river, samples are collected using a standardised method and the organisms
found are identified to the level of taxonomic family or species. In addition, the approximate abundance of each group found in the sample
is also recorded and this combined data is used to calculate so‐called biotic indices, which are used to draw conclusions about the
condition of the river and to make comparisons between sites on the same or different rivers.
For their statutory assessments of river condition for the EU Water Framework Directive, the Environment Agency enter their data into a
software package called the River InVertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS), which was developed by the Institute of
Freshwater Ecology (IFE). The RIVPACS package takes physical and geographical information recorded about the sample site and makes a
prediction of the invertebrate assemblage that is ‘expected’ to occur in a river of that type in that geographic location. This predicted
score is then compared with the score that was actually recorded from the river sample taken to calculate the Ecological Quality Ratio
(EQR) for the site. The EQR score is then used as an indicator of the ecological health of the river for its Water Framework Directive
invertebrate classification.
The current biotic index used for the Water Framework Directive Invertebrate Classification is termed the ‘average score per taxon’ (ASPT)
index. In this long‐established method each invertebrate group is allocated a score according to its sensitivity to pollution. When a river
becomes polluted the most sensitive and highest scoring groups are the first to be lost and the average score falls. Where the average
score of the groups found is high, it indicates that the most sensitive groups are present in the river and that, by inference, the pollution
levels are low.
The power of invertebrate communities as an indicator of river condition and as a tool to identify what pressures are causing the
degradation of an aquatic ecosystem, has, in recent years, been even further increased by the development of a number of new indices.
These indices, which include the Proportion of Sediment‐sensitive Invertebrates (PSI) index and the SPEcies At Risk from Pesticides
(SPEARPESTICIDES ) index, allow the impacts of specific pollutants, such as sediment or pesticides, to be evaluated in terms of their impact on
the invertebrate communities living in the river.
12
A pair of mayfly nymphs
© Ross Hoddinott ‐ 2020 Vision

13. 13
SPECIAL FEATURE
Going with the flow
Over the centuries, man has sought to control the water in our
rivers and streams and harness and exploit its energy. We have
built weirs, embankments and impoundments and we have
straightened, widened and deepened river channels in our efforts
to control the flow of water as it passes through the landscape.
These physical modifications influence the ‘hydro‐morphology’ of
a river, impairing the flow and sediment dynamics and reducing
biological connectivity and, in turn, these impacts have ecological
consequences. Hydro‐morphology influences habitats at all
scales; consider how the dimensions of a river channel change
throughout a catchment or the distribution of riffles and pools
along a stretch of moorland stream. Even the hydraulic conditions
around a single stone can create habitat diversity at a micro‐scale.
Flow is considered to be a ’maestro’ that influences many of the
fundamental ecological characteristics of river ecosystems and
changes in flow have impacts across broad taxonomic groups
including plants, invertebrates and fish. Variations in habitat
determine the distribution and abundance of aquatic organisms
and many aquatic organisms have evolved life history strategies in
response to the hydrological regime in which they live.
Modifying flow and limiting the ability of organisms to move
freely throughout a river and wetland system can lead to isolation
of populations and failure in reproduction, which can ultimately
lead to local extinctions.
Given the dense population of our small island and the pressures
this density places on our natural resources, wholesale removal of
man‐made structures and total re‐naturalisation of our
watercourses is an unrealistic prospect. There are, however,
numerous ways in which connectivity can be restored and a more
natural flow can be enhanced (see examples below).
Creation of Meander Features
Rivers and streams have historically been
straightened, deepened and widened in
order to change their response to flood
waters or to improve their navigability.
Flow deflectors can be used to create
more varied flow within a heavily
modified river channel and increase
ecological diversity. Sequences of
meander features reintroduced along the
channel on alternating sides of the
riverbank can also increase sinuosity of
flow and create new areas of sediment
deposition within the channel. Meander
features can be constructed using either
wooden or boulder deflectors or through
use of artificial shoals.
Modification of Weirs and Culverts
Weirs, culverts and other man‐made
obstacles alter flow and act as barriers
to migratory species of fish and various
other aquatic species. In some cases,
weir removal is possible, though in
most cases modifications to the
obstacle and installation of a fish pass
is the most suitable solution.
Adjustment of culverts in upper
catchments can also improve river
continuity and influence bed‐load.
Once improvement works have been
carried out, it is sometimes appropriate
to carry out fish translocations from
elsewhere in the river system to
supplement depleted or absent stocks
in a previously isolated branch.

14. 14
SPECIAL FEATURE
THE MAJORITY OF THE LANDSCAPE HERE IN THE WESTCOUNTRY IS MANAGED, TO A GREATER OR LESSER
EXTENT, BY MAN. GOOD HABITAT MANAGEMENT, BOTH IN THE RIPARIAN ZONE AND ‘IN‐CHANNEL’, CAN HELP
TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND HAVE ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS FOR A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIES.
Managing River Habitats for Ecological Benefits
Although erosion is an important natural
process that shapes the character of a
river, where there is a lack of vegetation
along the riverbank and little organic and
woody debris in the channel, erosion and
habitat degradation can quickly
accelerate.
Re‐establishing and managing vegetation
along the river corridor creates a diversity
of habitats that improves connectivity and
supports diverse assemblages of native
wildlife.
Vegetation Management
The root structures of riparian vegetation
help to stabilise the banks and prevent
erosion, protecting the channel from the
direct force of flow and reducing erosion.
Vegetation also acts to intercept rainwater
before it reaches the ground and plants
absorb water through their roots and
release it back through their leaves into
the atmosphere. These processes help to
control run‐off rates and regulate the
overall quantity and timing of water
entering the rivers. Vegetation also plays a
role in filtering water, removing sediment
and breaking down the pollutants in it
before it reaches the river.
A mixture of native grasses, scrub and
trees along the river corridor provide
valuable habitat in which sensitive plant
and invertebrate species can thrive, and
also provides shelter, nesting and foraging
opportunities for birds and mammals.
Overhanging trees and shrubs shade the
water, keeping it cooler in summer and
preventing excessive growth of aquatic
plants and algae. Low branches and tree
roots provide spawning areas for some
species of fish and refuges where fish can
escape from predators or rest when flow
rates are high.
Bankside and wetland vegetation also has
a huge aesthetic value to society, as it can
enrich the lives of those people who live,
work and spend leisure time in their local
catchment.
Fencing riverbanks and providing
designated livestock drinking points
protects plants from grazing animals and
by planting and managing trees and scrub,
a more diverse mosaic of riparian habitats
can be established. Traditional woodland
management techniques, such as
coppicing and pollarding, also enable
effective management of tree cover
without removing the stabilising effect of
the stump and roots.
The De Lank River, Cornwall

15. 15
SPECIAL FEATURE
Woody debris
Trees and other bankside vegetation also
create ’debris’ that falls into the water.
Everything from leaf litter and twigs to
branches and whole trees are natural
components of a river system and, as
such, have an important role to play in
freshwater ecosystems.
Woody debris tends to accumulate at
specific points in a stream, affecting
geomorphic processes, sediment storage
and routing, stream bed and bank
structure, water velocity variations in the
water column, and the temperature of
the water. It can also help to stabilise
river banks and river beds, resisting and
deflecting flows. As the debris gets
lodged in place, it traps and retains
sediment, including silt and organic
matter, improving the quality of the
water.
In addition to is physical impacts, woody
debris also provides shelter for many
species of animals and, along with the
invertebrates that live in it, also provides
food sources for many other species of
invertebrates, birds and fish.
Improving Gravel Beds
Gravel beds are geo‐morphological features that provide habitat for a wide range of
species, the most iconic of which are the salmonid species of fish (trout and salmon).
Salmonids require clean gravel beds for use as spawning grounds where they excavate a
nest, or redd, in which to deposit their fertilised eggs.
Gravel beds can be lost or damaged if there is a lack of sediment supply, usually due to
historic removal of gravels or where man‐made structures, such as weirs and dams, have
prevented the natural transportation of gravels downstream. They can also become
clogged with silt, making them unsuitable for the eggs of salmonids, which need a supply
of cool, clean, well‐oxygenated water in order to survive.
It is possible to re‐instate gravels in areas where they have been lost. When re‐instating
gravels, it is important to consider the stone type, as well as the size and shape of the
particles, to match them to the naturally occurring gravels of that particular river or stream.
It is also important to consider the potential mobility of the re‐introduced gravel in the
future and to plan how a natural and more sustainable supply of sediment can be secured in
the long term. It is also possible to clean the gravel where existing gravel beds have
become clogged with silt.
Assessing the health of a gravel bed
© Ross Hoddinott ‐ 2020 Vision
Woody debris

16. 16
The Country Sports South West Project, funded by DEFRA and the European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development ,aims to ensure that the South West region
becomes the premier tourism destination for country sports. The project also aims to
improve the visitor experience and participation, while creating sustainable rural tourism businesses that
can both respond to new challenges in the future and exploit any new opportunities whenever they arise.
ANGLING NEWS
Introducing theWestcountry Angling
Passport’s new ambassadors
THE CENTRAL AIM OF THE WESTCOUNTRY ANGLING PASSPORT IS TO FACILITATE
THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF PREVIOUSLY UNTAPPED FISHING RESOURCES
AND, IN THE PROCESS, HELP FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS PROTECT AND ENHANCE
THE RIVERS AND STREAMS ON THEIR LAND. OUR CAPABILITY TO DELIVER THESE GOOD
WORKS AND PROMOTE THE PASSPORT SCHEME HAS BEEN GIVEN A HUGE BOOST, THANKS
TO OUR MOST RECENT RECRUITS, THE ANGLING AMBASSADORS.
As the Passport goes from strength‐to‐strength and new beats are added to the passport scheme each year (we had 9 new beats to add to
the scheme this season alone), the help of our three new volunteers is invaluable. The ambassadors, all of whom are well known and well
respected local anglers, have kindly agreed to lend their support to the passport scheme, helping to promote the benefits of fishing on
passport beats and contributing to the practical conservation work we carry out to help maintain the rivers.
Mike Weaver, Luke Bannister and Derrick Jones have all been enthusiastic supporters of the Passport for many years. By volunteering as
Angling Ambassadors, we here at the Trust are better able in the future to co‐ordinate their efforts and target promotional and practical
works in the areas where they are most needed. We are hugely grateful to them for taking part in this new initiative and for their
continued and much valued support.
Mike Weaver
The highly regarded Mike Weaver is well known for his contributions on contemporary angling issues in
the popular angling press. He is a contributor to Trout and Salmon, providing feature articles on angling
in the Westcountry, and compiles the monthly fishing report for the Devon Area. Mike is perhaps the
most well‐known Westcountry based fly fisherman, having fished the rivers of the region for over 40
years. He was the founding chairman of the Wild Trout Trust and the author of the now classic text ‘The
Pursuit of Wild Trout’. Mike has supported the Passport for many years, writing articles about the scheme
and providing us with many captivating photographs.
Derrick Jones
Derrick is an AAPGAI advanced fishing instructor and guide. When not working full time for HM
Coastguard he runs Adventure Fly Fishing UK, a company that offers fly casting tuition and guiding
throughout the country. Derrick fishes throughout the UK and Iceland, though the river he knows best is
the River Mole, his local river near where he lives in North Devon. He has a particular interest in wild
fishing experience and regularly undertakes camping orientated fishing expeditions. These have included
trips to Iceland and a marathon trip around the Passport beats in 2011, where 150 miles and 9 beats were
covered by bike in only 5 days (see Confluence edition 13 for the full story)!
Luke Bannister
Based in Bude, North Cornwall, Luke is a professional maker of modern English bamboo rods using
traditional methods and has developed the now famous ‘Superfast’ cane rod series. He grew up fishing
the small rivers of Devon and Cornwall, such as the Tamar and tributaries and the streams of the high
moors. He has subsequently fished extensively in Wales and Norway for his favourite quarry, brown trout
and grayling. He is also an experienced saltwater fly fisherman, fishing extensively along the North
Cornwall coast for bass. Luke has supported the Passport for many years, supplying photographs and
videos of his experiences while fishing the passport beats.

17. 17
DEBATE
‘Valuing nature’: morally wrong or the only route to salvation?
RECENT DEBATE IN THE NATIONAL MEDIA HAS BROUGHT INTO QUESTION THE WISDOM OF VALUING NATURE AND BOTH SIDES
HAVE PUT FORWARD COMPELLING ARGUMENTS. HERE AT THE TRUST, WHERE OUR WORK INVOLVES PUTTING THE CONCEPT OF
PAYMENT FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES INTO PRACTICE, WE HAVE OUR OWN, MORE PRACTICAL TAKE ON THE DEBATE. TRUST
DIRECTOR, DR DYLAN BRIGHT, EXPLAINS WHY HE THINKS A WELL‐INTENTIONED AND PROGRESSIVE PRINCIPLE IS GETTING
LOST IN THE MIDST OF SENSATIONALIST HEADLINES.
On one side of the debate individuals are terrified by the very idea of valuing nature, something they consider to be a priceless wonder
and not something that can have a monetary value put on it as a commodity to sell (or destroy). Individuals on the other side of the
debate say that getting governments and societies to recognise the economic value of nature is the only way in which it can be saved
because otherwise it is overlooked in our national accounts as worthless. We, as practitioners, agree and disagree in part with both sides
and feel that we have a more grounded viewpoint to throw into the mix. Yes, nature is beyond value, but attempts to value the benefits
society gets from the natural environment, from the processes that ecosystems carry out and on which all life depends, is not the same as
putting a price on nature to sell. Considering the natural environment in terms of the benefits we get from it provides us with a tool that
can be used to work out the cost of protecting and restoring the environment and, importantly, to identify those who should be paying
these costs.
The reality of the situation here in the UK is that our landscape is largely set‐up to provide us with food, as historically this has been the
dominant driver of land use. However, we now realise that the relentless drive to produce more and more food from the land has come at
a cost to other things that are needed to sustain life (including us). By evaluating the landscape and how we use it, we can identify areas of
land where land use or management could be changed in order to protect and restore the ecosystems that are important for other
services (such as the provision of clean water, carbon storage and the recycling of nutrients). In our opinion, it is only after this ‘planning
process’ is complete that economics should be used to work out the costs and to identify those who might benefit from changes in land
management. We are not putting a price on nature; we are working out the cost of its protection within a living working landscape and
who should rightly pay for that protection.
After all, we are already paying for environmental protection via general taxation and regulation through public bodies. Although this may
have protected small pockets of nature here and there, it has failed to protect the wider environment in any coherent or effective way.
This raises the question; who set the level of tax required to deliver environmental protection and on what basis did they evaluate the
worth of nature in order to set this level of tax? In Professor Lawton’s review of the current state of England’s wildlife network, he
concluded that our current collection of protected sites are too small and too isolated and that this situation was likely to get worse in the
future. Surely if the current method isn’t working, it is worth exploring other ways in which society might pay to protect and restore the
wider natural environment across the landscape? Admittedly, this sensible approach is not as newsworthy as national headlines about
knowing the ‘cost of everything and the value of nothing’ and ‘nature worth 10 billion a year to the UK economy’ but we would ask those
who seek to sensationalise this approach not to destroy its fragile shoots while they publicly wrestle to understand it.
Of even greater interest to us, however, are the hidden benefits arising. We will gain a level of social learning from this process; if funds
are more directly and locally hypothecated from those who benefit to those who provide, then society in general might learn to value the
resources that the natural environment provides us with more than it does currently. Food comes from the supermarket, water from the
tap and wildlife from nature reserves are worryingly common attitudes.
The new swathe of environmental jargon that has come into play may be unpalatable to the nature lovers amongst us, but we need to
look past the language, the talk of ‘providers’ and ‘users’ and of value and markets, and consider the merits of the real objectives behind
valuing nature. Here at the Trust, the concept of ‘Payments for Ecosystem Services’ has enabled us to work with local communities,
businesses and other local interest groups to begin realising the value of the natural environment and that investment in its protection
and restoration is money well spent. Now surely that’s not such a bad thing?

18. 18
EDUCATION
Thank you to our supporters and funders
WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK‐YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS AND FUNDERS ‐ WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE
WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH AND NATURAL VALUE OF OUR RIVERS AND RIVER CATCHMENTS.
One of the principal aims of the Westcountry Rivers Trust is to
engage, inspire and educate young people of all ages. Here are
just some of the educational activities the Trust has undertaken so
far in 2012.
Higher Education
Three MSc students from the University of Plymouth completed
their work placements with us earlier in the year. The students
assisted in the launch of the Tamar Pilot catchment management
project, providing us with much valued help in preparing for the
launch meeting and ensuring that the day ran smoothly. The
students also gained a valuable insight into the challenges of
engaging a wide range of stakeholders in the development of a
catchment management plan, which we hope proves useful in
their future careers.
In addition to offering placement opportunities to students in
higher education, several Trust staff have also been invited to give
lectures on environmental science, river restoration and
catchment management to students from the University of
Plymouth, the University of Reading and Duchy College in 2012.
Salmon in the Classroom
During the Spring, several primary schools in the river Exe
catchment enjoyed our Salmon in the Classroom programme,
with the children successfully raising their own fertilised salmon
eggs and watching the amazing process of the eggs hatching into
alevins and growing on into tiny salmon fry.
The children then helped to release their fry back into their local
river, learning about the importance of a healthy river ecosystems
for the survival of the majestic salmon, as well as all the other
wildlife that lives there.
Fly Fishing Taster and Demo
For the first time this year, the Westcountry Angling Passport
teamed up with the South West Lakes Trust to run an event as
Inspiring and Educating a New Generation
Youngsters engaged in real ‘hands‐on’ learning and getting wet feet
part of National Fishing Month. Despite the unseasonal summer
weather, nearly forty people attended the event, the aim of which
was to give both experienced fishermen and fly fishing newcomers
the opportunity to have a try at fly casting under the expert
guidance of AAPGAI Master Gary Champion.
There was also the opportunity to learn about the art of fly tying,
with demonstrations by local fly fishermen, Mike Weaver. Despite
the wet and windy weather, the day was a great success and was
enjoyed by both newcomers and experienced fishermen alike.

19. 19
WRT DIGITAL
Contrary to common expectations, this
usage is no longer dominated by the
younger generation, as the statistics show
that the majority of users sit in the 20 to 40
year old age bracket.
Social media is increasingly used by
individuals as their primary means of
keeping up‐to‐date with the news around
them. Twitter, in particular, allows the user
to pick and choose the people,
organisations and sources from which they
want to receive news and information.
By joining in the debate and providing
engaging comment, news and links to
other online content, such as the new WRT
videos available on our very own You Tube
channel, the Trust is now taking the
opportunity to widen its audience and get
Thanks to AARC Project funding and the forward thinking vision of
the original funding bid, the Westcountry Rivers Trust is now the
proud owner of an underwater Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV).
This piece of equipment joins our team to enhance the Trust’s
underwater capabilities. Although the Trust has several qualified
divers amongst its staff, if we were to even think about putting a
diver in the water we would be open to the Health and Safety
Executive regulations governing diving at work, resulting in
escalating costs for medicals, HSE training, insurance, equipment
and so forth, before even setting foot (or fin) in the water.
A much more economic approach is to send a machine in place of a
person (which is also a much safer approach too). With this in
mind, the ROV now joins the growing collection of technical
equipment available for Trust staff to investigate our rivers.
The ROV will allow us valuable insight into the underwater world
and will help us to observe and record aspects of the habitat that
would otherwise remain unseen. We hope to make particular use
of the ROV for filming fish, especially salmon, in order to observe
their behaviour in response to food and predatory actions. We will
be able to place the ROV “on station” at a site, enabling us to
record numbers of migratory fish passing a certain point or to
examine effects of physical parameters on fish behaviour.
Our underwater vehicle is equipped with a fine resolution colour
camera that sends real‐time video footage through an umbilical
cable to the surface operator. This footage can be examined in real
time or recorded for analysis, if required. The camera, through
variable control tilt, can cover 180° vertical field of view and the
port and starboard ‘thruster’ propellers give the ROV 360° turning
capability. In short, this means that our mechanical diver can look
anywhere we want it to. Two high efficiency halogen lights ensure
that whatever depth or low visibility conditions we choose to
operate in, the picture returning to the surface will be crisp and
clear for a good view of what lies beneath.
The ROV is a valuable asset, both for the Trust and for the Trust’s
trading arm, Tamar Consulting, who will be using it for
commercial work in both the freshwater and marine
environments. The ROV is available to hire for work, scientific
exploration or simply for pleasure.
Keep an eye on the WRT video collection (www.youtube.com/
WestcountryriversTV) for footage of any ground‐breaking
underwater discoveries!
First Forays into theWorld of Social Media
At the opening ceremony of the London
2012 Olympic Games, ceremony director
Danny Boyle paid tribute to Sir Timothy
Berners‐Lee, the British inventor of the
World Wide Web.
The World Wide Web has, in essence,
enabled us to share information over the
internet using computers and its invention
has revolutionised the way we share ideas,
do business and, in more recent years, the
way we socialise and communicate with
friends and family in our every day lives.
The rise and rise of social media in today’s
world means that around 50% of the UK’s
population uses Facebook, while over 26
million people in the UK use Twitter; the
figures for the rest of the world are truly
astonishing!
even more information out to the public
about the issues that really matter to us.
Since joining the social media community,
the Trust has made contact with some
familiar faces and many new ones. We
have quickly built up a profile amongst
environmental and conservation scientists,
students, anglers, media organisations and
farming interests, and the number of
followers we have continues to grow.
Why not join us online? Search for us on:
Twitter: @WestcountryRT
Facebook: Westcountry Rivers Trust
You Tube: WestcountryRiversTV
Underwater ROV Joins theWRTTeam
The ROV

20. 20
The Westcountry Rivers Trust is an environmental charity
(Charity no. 1135007, Company no. 06545646) established in
1995 to secure the preservation, protection, development
and improvement of the rivers, streams, watercourses and
water impoundments in the Westcountry and to advance the
education of the public in the management of water.
Westcountry Rivers Trust
Rain‐Charm House, Kyl Cober Parc, Stoke Climsland,
Callington, Cornwall, PL17 8PH.
Email: info@wrt.org.uk; website: www.wrt.org.uk