A joint initiative of The River Exe and Tributaries Association (RETA) and The Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT), The River Exe Project has embarked on an exciting venture to protect, restore and enhance salmon habitat throughout the whole of the River Exe catchment.

Focus initially has been on The Little Exe; like other rivers in the South West, it has seen a decline in Atlantic salmon numbers due to a number of factors that have degraded habitats and caused diffuse water pollution.

The River Exe Project, in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations, the water industry and local angling associations, is addressing these issues and hopes to bring about improvements in salmon stocks.

This project will also help other important wildlife whilst providing sustainable environmental and economic benefits to local communities in the Exe catchment.

The River Exe project is a fantastic example of a grass-roots conservation project, which is now in its sixth year and looks set to last for many more. The riparian owners and conservation interests on the river Exe all donate annually to support a project officer with a conservation fund for river protection and restoration.

The project officer is coordinated by volunteers and lives within the catchment. This almost fully autonomous project requires very little input from the Trust team and is extremely popular and cost-effective. Several other rivers in the Westcountry are setting up fundraising systems to replicate the model in collaboration with the Westcountry Rivers Trust.