For the past 5 years the Westcountry Rivers Trust has liaised with South West Water to develop an initiative called ‘Upstream Thinking’ to improve raw water quality and all ecological aspects of the region’s rivers.

The incentive for the water company is the effective decrease in the cost of water treatment before supply; but, to-date, this cost-benefit has not been accepted by the Water Sector’s regulating body, OFWAT. However, in late 2009 OFWAT approved all of the proposed catchment restoration work included within the Upstream Thinking Initiative proposal.

The Trust will deliver large elements of this initiative totaling £3.26 million over three years in four catchments. This is a fundamental change in how we manage water resources in the UK and is the result of many years work.

The Upstream Thinking project, funded by South West Water, aims to improve raw water quality through a collaborative approach which sees landowners informed and assisted in the protection of river catchments as part of an integrated approach to good land management.

Tailored one to one advice and farm plans are supported by a capital grant scheme. The target catchments for Upstream Thinking are: Upper Tamar, Upper Tamar Lakes, Roadford, Upper Fowey and Wimbleball.

Explore the image below with your mouse to see how Upstream Thinking works -