FWAG SW-led project to improve water quality and river habitats in the Devil’s Brook and Cheselbourne Stream with funding from Wessex Water, Environment Agency, Dorset AONB FiPL and The Tree Council.

The project implemented farm Infrastructure improvements on 3 farms funded by the Environment Agency to:

• Make yard improvements to prevent run-off from farmyards
• Install a series of cross drains to prevent run-off from the steep track onto the road, and river
• Resurface gateway to reduce sediment loading onto the road and road drainage to the river
• Undertake daylighting and new fencing to improve the river corridor and create 0.13 ha of new riparian buffer zone.
• Creation of 0.25 ha tussocky grass field corner and changes to cultivation practices to reduce muddy run-off onto the road
• Design bank lowering scheme to increase water-holding capacity in headwaters and increase wetland habitats
• Beat up tree planting completed through the project in winter 20/21

Secured funding from Dorset AONB FiPL to continue the project in autumn 2022.

Tree planting as NFM