The Tamar PlanDeveloping a shared catchment vision
It provide us with….
– food and materials– energy / fuel– drinking water
It regulates….
– climate gases
– flooding & drought
It also gives us areas for….
– culture
– recreation
– habitat for wildlife
A catchment provides many Ecosystem Services
Many pressures act to reduce ecosystem health
Reduced ecosystem health impairs service provision
Heavily exploited ecosystem ‘Natural’ ecosystem
Provisioning services Regulating services Cultural services
Crops
Meat
Timber
Spaces for Wildlife
Recreation
Pest control
Water regulationWater purification
What services are we currently getting?
Developing a shared understanding
The Ecosystem Services Working Groups (1 – 5)
Water Quality: The provision of clean water into the aquatic environment for the benefit of river ecosystem health, recreational safety and drinking water supply.
Water Quantity: The regulation of water movement in the landscape to ensure that base-flows are maintained and to reduce the risk of flooding.
Space for Wildlife: The protection and enhancement of functional networks of habitat to support healthy wildlife populations and biodiversity at a landscape scale.
Carbon Sequestration: The regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases through land management.
Recreation, Leisure & Culture: The provision of accessible spaces and resources for recreation, leisure and cultural activities and to increase health and wellbeing.
A participatory stakeholder-led approach…
A participatory stakeholder-led approach…
What services do we get?
Are we getting enough?
What areas effect provision?
What can we do to provision?
Where should they be targeted?
How is it funded?
What are the outcomes?
Are the new sources of funding?
Developing a shared vision & a shared language
- Habitat creation- Landuse change- Farm
infrastructure- Best practice
advice
- Stewardship- Water Company- Biodiversity
offsetting- Flood Risk
- Research findings
- Spatial data- Monitoring- Reports & plans
Water Quality
Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?
Local ecological impacts
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality
Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?
Local ecological impacts
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality
Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?
Local ecological impacts
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality
Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?
Local ecological impacts
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality
Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?
Local ecological impacts
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality
Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?
Local ecological impacts
Distal ecological, social & economic impacts
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality
Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?
Local ecological impacts
Distal ecological, social & economic impacts
® Raw drinking water impacts
WFD: Article 7“…avoid deterioration in [water] quality to reduce the level of purification treatment
required in the production of drinking water.”
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality – point sources
The contribution of point sources of pollution
Variety of different pollutants
Many different sources
® Varying contributions in different locations
Ecosystem services: Water regulation & qualityThe water cycle is one of the fundamental processes we all depend on –
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Ecosystem services: Water regulation & qualityThe water cycle is one of the fundamental processes we all depend on –
Water regulation is dependent on - Direction of water movement: laterally or vertically
Rate of water movement / timing of release Interactions with contaminants
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Ecosystem services: Water regulation & qualityThe water cycle is one of the fundamental processes we all depend on –
Some land areas play a role in water regulation and water quality
- Innate characteristics- Condition/health
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purification
3
4
3
6 9
62
21
INHERENT RISK
PR
AC
TIC
E
Source
Receptor
We want to understand why water quality is (or is not) degraded in certain locations…
+++ Importance/opportunity
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purification
Seasonally wet gley
3
4
3
6 9
62
21
INHERENT RISK
PR
AC
TIC
E
Identifying areas of high importance/risk to water regulation
- Soil type & condition/practices
Free-draining brown earth
Gley with impeded drainage
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Natural habitat
Cultivated land
3
4
3
6 9
62
21
INHERENT RISK
PR
AC
TIC
E
Permanent pasture
Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purificationIdentifying areas of high importance/risk to water regulation
- Landuse & practice (intensity of use)
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Direct connection to watercourse
Steeply sloping
3
4
3
6 9
62
21
INHERENT RISK
PR
AC
TIC
E
Hydrologically connected
Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purificationIdentifying areas of high importance/risk to water regulation
- Location, topography & hydrological connectivity
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality
® Soil hydrology & condition• Run-off risk• Leaching risk
® Topography (i.e. slope)
® Hydrological connectivity • Proximity to watercourse• Flood plain• Surface & sub-surface flow accumulation
® Land cover • Natural habitats (wetland, woodland or peatland)• Farmed land (tillage or permanent grass)
The group identified land most likely to have an impact on water quality:
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Water Quality – diffuse sources
A well established toolbox of measures to reduce rural diffuse pollution
FloodingSpaces for
wildlife
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
DroughtCarbon sequestration
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Land value
Recreational resources
priority – opportunity – suitability – risk
Bringing it all together…
Multifunctional priority areas
Toolbox of interventions
Habitat creation
Landuse change
Farm infrastructure
Best practice advice
Integrated vision for the catchment
WIN-WIN“Provider
saves”
Delivery Framework
REGULATION“Polluter
pays”
INCENTIVES“Provider is paid”
WHERE?
WHAT?
WHO? …& who pays?
We now have a shared understanding of what outcomes will come from a better catchment, who
will benefit and importantly who might pay…
Ecosystem Sustainability Meter
Ecosystem Sustainability Meter