A new Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy published today is calling for chalk streams in England to be given enhanced environmental status.

The Catchment Based Approach’s (CaBA) Chalk Stream Restoration Working Group has put forward a set of recommendations to protect and restore England’s rare chalk streams. The strategy calls for enhanced status for chalk streams to drive investment to prevent pollution and over-abstraction, as well as restoring habitat to boost biodiversity.

Charles Rangeley-Wilson, Chair of the Chalk Stream Restoration Working Group, said:

“No other country in the world has anything like England’s chalk stream habitat – they’re England’s Great Barrier Reef or Okavango delta. There are dozens of actions that could and should be taken to protect them but giving chalk streams enhanced status is a vital next step.”

England is home to some 283 chalk streams as well as dozens of smaller waterbodies, which are formed when rainwater falls on chalk hills, filters through the rock, and creates springs of cool, alkaline, mineral-rich water – perfect conditions for a richly diverse ecosystem.

However, they face unique challenges in the 21st Century as they flow through some of the most urbanised, industrialised, and intensively-farmed areas of the country. Over-abstraction, pollution, and loss of habitat are serious concerns for environmental groups and other stakeholders.

Created by CaBA partners including Defra, the Environment Agency, Natural England, water companies, Ofwat and NGOs, the strategy outlines the compendium of current issues threatening chalk streams in England and what must be done to protect the three key indicators of ecological health: water quantity; water quality; and physical habitats.

Environment Agency Chair Emma Howard Boyd said:

“England is home to 85% of the world’s chalk streams and their future depends on collective action from water companies, farmers, and landowners as well as government and regulators. No one should undermine the value of chalk streams, and today’s report adds clarity and certainty about what is expected of all their users. The National Framework for Water Resources encourages water companies to open up new infrastructure to reduce reliance on chalk aquifers. This is one of the many good proposals in today’s report that needs collective action.”

Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:

“Chalk streams are unique natural features, and considering that most such rivers in the world are found here in England, we have a particular responsibility to ensure that they are in good health. These habitats are subject to a complex range of pressures, however, from pollution arising from road runoff, agriculture and sewage, to low flow resulting from abstraction for public water supply and physical damage to the water courses. We look forward to working with others to ensure this new strategy leads to the kind of joined-up partnership action needed to address these pressures, protecting and restoring chalk streams for future generations to enjoy.”

“Implementation is now critical, we urgently need to act on its recommendations"

Mark Lloyd, CEO of The Rivers Trust, said clear-watered chalk streams are linked to the water supply for millions of people and that the strategy gives a clear direction for joined-up planning and investment; it represents a critical foundation of consensus among government, water companies and local partnerships.

However, “implementation is now critical, we urgently need to act on its recommendations and address the threats to our chalk streams.” he added.

According to David Black, Interim CEO at Ofwat, there is an urgent need to alleviate pressure on chalk streams and other precious parts of our ecosystem – which can be done by reducing the volume of water abstracted, developing alternative sources, transferring water to where it is needed most and pushing companies to reduce leakage and pollution.

Sarah Bentley, Thames Water CEO, the company is progressing ambitious plans to stop unsustainable abstractions to increase flow and eliminate untreated discharges to improve water quality. “The strategy launched today is an important step forward that informs and supports our wider restoration plans.”

Stuart Ledger, Interim CEO of Affinity Water explained that the water company’s catchment area is home to 10 per cent of the world’s chalk streams.   Since 1993, Affinity Water has reduced abstraction from chalk ground water sources by 70 million litres a day and have undertaken various programmes to help improve 125km of chalk rivers, altered by centuries of river modifications. However, he warned that the challenges facing chalk streams cannot be resolved in isolation and that “collaboration is key if we are going to protect these precious habitats for all generations.”

The key recommendation of the strategy is for an overarching level of protection and priority status for chalk streams and their catchments. This would give them a distinct identity and help to drive investment in water-resources infrastructure, water treatment and catchment-scale restoration in chalk stream areas.

Other recommendations include:

• a consensus agreement on the definition of sustainable abstraction.
• a commitment to set time-bound goals to meet this target on all chalk streams.
• designating all chalk stream regions where public water supply is heavily reliant on groundwater abstraction as ‘water-stressed’ enabling compulsory metering in these areas.

The strategy also sets out multiple actions to drive down the nutrient loading of chalk streams to ecologically appropriate levels, including:

• a prioritisation of investment in all sewage treatment works contributing to WFD nutrient failures;
• a reduction in the frequency and duration of storm overflows spilling to chalk streams;
• a suite of practical farming rules for chalk stream catchments specifically to address pathways of diffuse agricultural pollution.

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