2019 was once again a busy and varied year; we’ve been out delivering projects, working with local communities, monitoring our rivers and discussing exciting new ideas and plans for the future. However, now its time to turn our attention to 2020 and the years to come. Our partnership, Becks to Bay, operates under 7 agreed themes (as to the right), which are all supported by engagement. It is our aim to deliver improvements against these themes, however this is only…

As a catchment partnership we are involved in an exciting new project called WAMM; Wholescale Approach to Marine Management. This is a 16 month project being led by the Rivers Trust and funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. The aim of the project is to support a collaborative approach to the management of estuarine and coastal waters with the pilot running in Morecambe Bay. The three catchment partnerships around Morecambe Bay, hosted by Lune Rivers Trust, Wyre Rivers…

Cumbria Coastal Strategy Public consultation deadline – 13th December 2019 Work on the Cumbria Coastal Strategy is well under way and due to be completed in Spring 2020. The project is being led by Jacobs and managed by Cumbria County Council on behalf of all the Cumbria coastal Risk Management Authorities. The Environment Agency are funding this work and are part of the project governance. There is currently a second round of consultation, if you’d like to share your views…

On the 24th October the Environment Agency launched their Challenges and Choices consultation. This is the second consultation which will inform updates to the River Basin Management Plans from 2015 and is open until the 24th April 2020. In this consultation the Environment Agency have described what they think are the biggest challenges affecting the water environment and have outlined ideas on how to address them. They are now asking for your views and what you think should be done.…

South Cumbria Rivers Trust and Groundwork (Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside) have teamed up to deliver a ‘Love My River’ project. Under the Tesco Community Grants scheme this project has been shortlisted to receive a cash award, of £25,000, £15,000 or £10,000 as part of the Tesco Bags of Help centenary grant initiative, however, now they need your help to secure the top grant. The ‘Love My River’ project will deliver a range of practical workshops, education programmes and training opportunities to…

Electrofishing Through-out summer (July to September), South Cumbria Rivers Trust have been, and continue, to undertake fish surveys. This is a fascinating way to learn more about what resides in our local becks, aiding our understanding of population changes and habitat opportunities . Fish surveys are carried out using a method called electrofishing, which is the same method used by the Environment Agency. It involves passing a small electric current through the water which temporarily stuns the fish enabling them…

South Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT) and Friends of the Lake District have been working together to co-ordinate a ‘fight the aliens’ project. In July huge numbers of volunteers came along to a ‘Fight the Aliens’ day to pull Himalayan Balsam, a vigorous fast growing invasive non-native species. This was supported by a number of landowners, farmers and partners including Lowther Estates, Rydal Estates, C&S Hodgson, Lake District National Park Authority and the National Trust; showing just what can be achieved…

Our new riverfly system for South Cumbria Rivers Trust and Becks to Bay is here! Head on over to South Cumbria Rivers Trust’s website to see the new results dashboard. Riverfly surveys are a vital part of monitoring the water quality of our catchments. Riverflies form part of the aquatic food chain and respond rapidly to changes in water quality. Therefore, by monitoring the abundance of a select number of riverfly groups we are able to identify if there has been…

Are you a lake user? Do you swim, boat, paddle or use Lake Windermere for recreational use? Lucy Stevens, is undertaking an MSc project for South Cumbria Rivers Trust and needs your help. As part of her ongoing research into Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), local views and knowledge about bio-security, Lucy is asking for some assistance from users of Lake Windermere. Whether your an angler, swimmer or boat user, your assistance will provide insight into research into the introduction of…

Cumbria Strategic Floods Partnership is looking for a new Chairperson Do you understand how flooding affects people and communities? Are you interested in how flood risk is managed? Have you got the skills to gain the trust of a wide range of people? Maybe you could chair the Cumbria Strategic Flood Partnership….. Over 6,000 homes and businesses across Cumbria were flooded int he devastating floods of 2015. Those organisations responsible for reducing flood risk across the county and the communities…