2023-24 Tales from an East Anglian Riverbank - Portfolio - Page 15
Straightened
chalk stream Newmarket
Chalk strata
visible Wensum
(Blackwater)
Driving Restora}on through the Chalk
Partnership Fund
Over the past two years, the Chalk Stream
Partnership Fund has co-developed projects
to restore ecosystems and deliver
environmental and community bene昀椀ts.
Call for collec}ve
ac}on!
Improved Monitoring in Chalk Catchments
The Fund has supported an EA project to
establish a monitoring network in East
Anglia North and Lincolnshire &
Northamptonshire. Located in the
ecologically sensi}ve chalk headwaters,
these sites monitor the impacts of
groundwater abstrac}on, enhance our
hydro-ecological understanding and
evaluate ecological responses to changes in
water regimes. This long-term e昀昀ort aims to
improve water management, foster
collabora}on, and explore opportuni}es for
ci}zen science engagement.
We cannot protect
chalk streams on our
own. We all have our
part to play:
government policy,
regula}on and
enforcement, planning
decisions, ac}ons by
water companies,
farmers and
landowners, as well as
the behaviour of
individuals in the way
they use water.
Nature-Based Solu}ons in Chalk
Catchments
In the Wensum catchment, we are
collabora}ng with Water Resources East on
a proof-of-concept project using naturebased solu}ons, such as run-o昀昀 a琀琀enua}on
features, to support water resources. If
successful, this approach will inform future
land management prac}ces and improve
catchment resilience during low-now
periods.
We aim to foster new
partnerships, raise
awareness, and
innuence na}onal
policies. By consul}ng
widely and working
collabora}vely, we
strive to inspire local
ac}on and safeguard
these rare ecosystems
for the future.
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