Introduction

The Dorset National Landscape is the lead partner in the West Dorset Rivers & Coastal Streams (WDR&CS) Catchment, where we work with communities to improve the health of their rivers as part of the Catchment Based Approach. To help bring in the right expertise to help, we work with Dorset Wild Rivers, the Environment Agency, Wessex Water and others.

West Dorset Rivers & Coastal Streams catchment map

We have summarised the issues facing the water environment in the WDR&CS catchment in an Issues Appraisal.  This document also sets out what you can do to overcome these issues.  If you’d like to explore these issues in more detail, please get in touch.

And if you are lucky enough to garden near a river, we have also some suggestions on managing this for water and wildlife.

What is the Catchment Based Approach

We’re working with organisations and individuals across the National Landscape to protect and restore the water environment as a part of the Catchment Based Approach.

The Catchment Based Approach is a way of working at a catchment scale to improve the water environment for wildlife and people. By working together, the catchment partnerships aim to:

  • share local knowledge and expertise
  • identify the local challenges
  • deliver cost effective solutions with multiple benefits.

There are five catchment initiatives in the Dorset National Landscape: Poole Harbour; Stour; West Dorset Rivers and Coastal Streams; Lim and Axe, and; Parrett.

We work as partners on the Poole Harbour Catchment Partnership and Stour Catchment Partnership whilst leading on the West Dorset Rivers and Coastal Streams.

You can find out more about the Catchment Based Approach here.

You can find out more about the state of your local river here.

You can find out more about Dorset Wild Rivers, and the work we do to enhance the river environment across Dorset, here.