Policy paper

River Wye Action Plan

Published 12 April 2024

The River Wye starts in Wales and flows through England to its mouth at the Severn Estuary and is known as the ‘birthplace of tourism’. The river and its catchment are treasured by residents and visitors alike, who enjoy its diverse populations of characteristic native UK species, including Atlantic salmon, and its dramatic and varied geography.

This landscape is equally valuable to the UK’s agriculture sector. Fertile soils have helped farming to thrive in the catchment, producing high quality and affordable food for customers in the UK and worldwide.

However, the condition of the River Wye Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which covers the stretch of the river in England, was assessed to be ‘Unfavourable - Declining’ on 30 May 2023. The great work of citizen scientists in groups including the Friends of the Upper Wye and Friends of the Lower Wye has helped us to better understand this concerning picture.

This River Wye Action Plan aims to stop this decline by making the catchment a pilot for transforming how manure is managed, while continuing to support the creation of new habitat to keep nutrients and sediment in the field and make space for nature. This plan will also support further progress towards our legally binding environmental targets on species abundance and water pollution.

Challenges in restoring the River Wye 

The river and its ecosystem are subject to many pressures. 

Excess nutrients, especially phosphate 

Excess nutrients, especially phosphate, reduce the diversity of aquatic plants. This has knock-on impacts on aquatic invertebrates, fish and other organisms living in the river. Excess nutrients also cause algal blooms during high temperatures or low flow periods (or both), driving down biological oxygen levels and causing particular harm to salmon and other fish species.

Phosphate in the river enters from:

• agricultural land (72% to 74%)
• regulated wastewater discharges (21% to 23%)
• storm overflows (1% to 2%)
• other sources such as septic tanks and road run-off

Excess sediment

Excess sediment smothers wildlife habitat (for example salmon and other fish spawning grounds), carries nutrients into the river, and makes the river shallower, exacerbating the harmful impacts of high and low river flow.

According to our most recent estimates in 2014, on average over 75% of sediment in the River Wye entered from agricultural land, with approximately 20% attributed to riverbank erosion and the remainder attributed to urban diffuse pollution and sewage treatment. 

Climate change

Climate change increases the occurrence of severe high river flow events that flood and damage riparian habitats for characteristic plant life for example Ranunculus Aquatilis (known as Water-Crowfoot). Hotter, dryer summers cause low flow events and increase the overall temperature of the river, making it more vulnerable to harm from nutrient pollution. 

The presence and spread of invasive non-native species 

Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed, American skunk cabbage and giant hogweed (for example) are invasive non-native species found in the River Wye.

A modified river channel

With less space for habitat and fish spawning, the impact of high and low flow events are exacerbated.

The unacceptable condition of the River Wye SAC is evident from the decline of key indicators such as: 

• Atlantic salmon – the population is in a critical state, with annual migration numbers down to an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 a year, from 50,000, with angling catches down 94% from their peak in 1967. Estimates of salmon egg deposition since 2011 have fallen consistently below the level deemed necessary to conserve the species in this habitat
• diatoms (a type of single-celled algae) – all constituent water bodies^{[footnote 1]} of the River Wye SAC failed to achieve their target of High Status because diatom populations showed the impact of nutrient enrichment^{[footnote 2]}, primarily a response to phosphorus. Most water bodies achieved only Moderate Status, with 2 of these showing indicators of decline
• macro-invertebrates – 3 out of the 5 water bodies of the River Wye SAC reviewed for macro-invertebrate populations failed to achieve their target of High Status and showed indicators of decline

What we have done so far 

Reducing phosphate and sediment pollution 

Within the first round of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant during 2022, the Rural Payments Agency allocated nearly £2 million to support 14 slurry storage upgrades in the River Wye SAC catchment. This enables farmers to spread slurry when crop absorption of nutrients is maximised.

Through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund we have provided over £227,000 for slurry management equipment in the catchment. This includes precision slurry spreaders, slurry separators to improve the utility of slurry as a fertiliser, and hosing equipment to prevent the towing of slurry tanks over the field surface, reducing soil compaction and erosion.

Since 2006, the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) advice partnership (led by Natural England with the Environment Agency (EA), Forestry Commission and Defra) has within the Wye catchment: 

• provided advice on reducing water pollution to almost 1,000 farm holdings (32% of all holdings, covering 69% of the farmed area) during over 2,500 one-to-one visits
• made almost 7,500 farm-specific practice recommendations
• held 84 advice events with attendees from over 300 farm holdings (about 10% of all holdings) 

The CSF partnership has also worked with Farm Herefordshire to carry out 12 farmer events in the River Wye SAC catchment to discuss how farmers can use the Sustainable Farming Incentive to improve their soil management. These were delivered by advisers from CSF, the Wye and Usk Foundation, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and Herefordshire Rural Hub.

Through a mixture of the English Woodland Grant and Countryside Stewardship schemes between April 2006 and December 2022 we worked with land managers to plant 167 hectares of new woodland. This was across 119 unique plantings, equivalent to around 210,000 trees in the River Wye SAC catchment. This has created habitat that secures soil in place and acts as a barrier for over-land runoff of nutrients and eroded soil. 

In addition, the right trees in the right place can provide shade to the river, helping to reduce its temperature and adapt to hotter weather due to climate change protecting sensitive species such as salmonids. The Severn Treescapes project is exploring opportunities to plant more trees in the corridor of the River Wye to the Wyre Forest. We have also partnered with the Wye and Usk Foundation to offer support to land managers to create riparian woodland through the Woodlands for Water Project, delivered through the Nature for Climate Fund. 

To address cases where farmers are breaching the rules and causing harm, since April 2023, EA has (in its regulatory role) carried out: 

• over 500 farm inspections on the River Wye to determine compliance with general farm rules including the Farming Rules for Water, Slurry Silage and Agricultural Fuel Oil Regulations (SSAFO) 
• 53 inspections of intensive poultry units to determine compliance with their Environmental Permit obligations 
• pilots of smarter approaches to detecting breaches of the rules, for example using remote sensing technology 
• 38 audits of the movement of poultry manure and digestate from production to end use 

The EA has also provided proactive advice to farmers and the wider food supply chain, for example: 

• helping poultry farmers and their food processor partners to monitor and control how manure is shared with other farms, and how it can be safely used for other purposes including anaerobic digestion 
• working with free range poultry farms to manage outdoor living and feeding areas, where the birds tend to clear away vegetation over time, to prevent soil erosion and manure runoff into adjacent land drains 
• engaging with the potato sector to help farmers assess and reduce the risk of soil erosion on potato fields where conventional growing practices tend to leave soil exposed between the rows of plants 

The water company serving the River Wye catchment in England, Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water), is regulated by Natural Resources Wales and must work towards many of the same high environmental objectives that apply in England, under to the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017. Since 2020, Dŵr Cymru has invested over £70 million in reducing the amount of phosphorus released from the Weobley, Pontrilas, Kingstone and Madley, Leominster and Hereford Eign and Rotherwas wastewater treatment centres. 

Supporting local cooperation 

Defra’s Secretary of State and the Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Climate Change participated in a stakeholder roundtable on restoring it to favourable condition on 30 May 2023.

Defra Group statutory bodies including the EA and Natural England (NE) are active members of: 

• the River Wye Statutory Officers Group, which includes Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Local Authorities and Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water) 
• the Herefordshire Council chaired Nutrient Management Board, which includes all statutory bodies and local wildlife trusts and other stakeholders 
• Technical Advisory Groups which pool the expertise in EA, NE, NRW and external partners to support the other boards and share intelligence and evidence such as on phosphate monitoring data 

As a statutory consultee within the planning system, NE works closely with NRW to advise on plans, projects and consents that impact cross-border sites.

EA works closely with NRW on cross-border permits and compliance issues.

Reducing the impact of invasive non-native species 

We are working in partnership with the Wye and Usk Foundation, through our Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, to control invasive plants in the River Wye SAC catchment between Glasbury and Ross-on-Wye. We have allocated almost £20,000 to the Wye and Usk Foundation for measures including herbicide spraying and deadheading giant hogweed plants, and herbicide spraying of Japanese knotweed. 

Action to stop the decline of the River Wye 

In this plan we are making 9 commitments. 

Appoint a locally based River Champion 

We will appoint Anthea McIntyre as the River Champion for the Wye, reporting to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to: 

• championing the government’s interests in protecting and restoring the River Wye to Favourable Condition, in alignment with government policy and priorities
• build on the work already ongoing and completed in the catchment, and establish and lead a River Wye taskforce that will: 
  • develop pilot projects with partners which enable manures to be utilised as a precious nutrient and energy source, and not spread in excess of crop and soil need
  • lead the development of a 5 to 10 year Catchment Plan identifying the local action required to restore the River Wye while balancing the needs of all local stakeholders 
  • implement that plan over the long term by working with partners to secure further green finance investment for land managers and farmers to collaborate on catchment scale projects, including with partners in Wales where appropriate

Amend, subject to consultation, the Environmental Permitting Regulations

We will require permitted poultry farms, to only export their manure to farms where it will not result in the application of nutrients more than crop and soil need, or other appropriate recipients, by December 2025. 

Research led by Lancaster University concluded the majority of the surplus phosphorus added to the soils of the River Wye catchment each year, estimated at 3,000 tons, are from livestock manures, especially poultry. The permitted poultry farms in the River Wye catchment produce 80% of the poultry manure. Under this new requirement, the manure they produce will no longer be allowed to contribute to that surplus.

During the development of these requirements, we will consider emerging approaches to managing and utilising organic manures to ensure the regulations recognise, and do not stifle, innovation and technologies that deliver environmental benefits. 

Help farmers retain more nutrients and soil in the field

From summer 2024, we will introduce Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) funding to support the establishment of crops using no-till techniques, for spring and summer cover crops, and the precision application of crop nutrients and plant protection products.

We will provide premium SFI payment rates for a range of high impact actions, including offering £1,182 per hectare for 3-dimensional waterbody buffer strips between 6 and 24 metres wide. This is a significant increase on the previous rates offered for 4 metre to 12 metre-wide grass buffer strips; £515 per hectare on arable and horticultural land, £235 per hectare on improved grassland.

These will create habitat corridors throughout the catchment and protect watercourses; a 24 m wide wooded buffer can intercept more than three quarters of phosphorus that would otherwise pass through it to a water body. If all farmers in the River Wye catchment implement this action with 24 m wide buffers, they could collectively be paid a total of almost £20 million per year.

Support the management of poultry manure by funding poultry manure combustors

We will support poultry farmers to export poultry litter to where it is needed by providing up to £35 million in grant funding for on-farm poultry manure combustors (PMCs). Burning poultry manure provides a source of renewable energy and converts manure to a nutrient rich ash, which is a valuable fertiliser that is easier to transport and use on farms where it is needed, reducing risk to the water environment. This will be a one-off grant to trial the use of PMCs in increasing the distance that manure can be transported to avoid overapplication within the catchment. We will work with farmers and stakeholders in the Wye to explore how best to deliver this fund.

Pilot the use of on-farm micro anaerobic digesters (AD)

We will help farmers improve their manure management and lead the way to a circular economy of nutrients and realise other benefits including rural renewable energy. In the financial year 2024 to 2025 we will launch Defra Farm Trials. This will equip up to 5 livestock farmers in the Wye with micro AD plants, covering the estimated £1.25 million initial capital cost of the plants, and help them partner with other farmers to use manure-derived nutrient products to maximise crop yields and reduce water pollution. 

More than double grant approvals for slurry stores

We will approve 100% of round 2 applications and streamline Natural England’s approach to planning consultations for grant-funded projects. Alongside this we will promote existing planning policy, existing and new permitted development rights which support farm productivity and diversification projects that enable farmers to increase their income, helping to support sustainable food production practices. 

Work with partners on the Wyescapes and Wye Valley – Ridge to River Landscape Recovery Projects

We will provide £1.5 million of development funding over the next two years, to engage local farmers and land managers, agree where joined up habitats can be created and restored in a way that also improves flood risk mitigation and reduces water pollution. Subject to completing the development phase, we will provide significant long-term funding (20+ years) for their delivery of transformational actions to enhance the landscape and enable nature recovery: 

1. Involving over 50 farmers and land managers
2. Creating over 680 hectares of new species rich habitat and improving over 2,000 hectares of woodland, helping to secure soil in place and buffer the river from surrounding farmland
3. Managing and reducing the invasive non-native plant species Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed, and American skunk cabbage

Provide funding for at least 2 projects delivered with local partners in the next financial year 

We will make early progress towards the delivery of a River Wye Catchment Plan by funding two local projects: 

• ‘Restoring our Rivers’ – this will improve the channel of the River Lugg to create habitat, facilitate fish migration and mitigate flood risk 
• ‘Arrow Valley Diversity Project’ – this will work with farmers to help them adopt regenerative food production methods that reduce nutrient pollution and soil erosion, and naturally improve water infiltration and retention 

Cross-border research on mitigating phosphate pollution in the unique geography of the River Wye catchment 

We will work with partners in academia, agriculture and the third sector, in England and Wales, to produce new evidence on how farmers can mitigate pollution given the catchment’s unique geography, including from legacy phosphate deeper in the soil structure. 

1. As set out in Schedule 1 of the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017, ‘body of surface water’ means a discrete and significant element of surface water such as a lake, a reservoir, a stream, river or canal, part of a stream, river or canal, a transitional water or a stretch of coastal water. ↩

2. Classification of diatoms forms one part of the biological quality element ‘macrophytes and phytobenthos’, with the worst class of either sub-element used for overall classification, however diatom monitoring is most appropriate in low alkalinity water. ↩