Presentation to

CIWEM South Western Branch

South West Water, Exeter

15 July 2008

WAgriCo - UK

Introduction

Roger G Trengove

UKWIR Project Manager (UK)

The WAgriCo Project

Water Resources Management in Cooperation with Agriculture.

What is WAgriCo?

The full project title is:

• In Germany there are 6 partners including NLWKN the overall project leader.

• In the UK there are 5 partners.

In addition there are also 2 co-financiers.

• Lower Saxony State Government

• Defra

Project PartnersThis is a European collaborative project with partners in Germany and the UK.

The Local Farming Community and other

stakeholders

UK Partners

Why we need WAgriCo - 1

• The WFD identifies: – Groundwaters; and– the protection of waters used for

abstraction for drinking water. • The Nitrate Directive.• Diffuse pollution continues to be an issue.• The DWD sets a maximum limit of 50mg/l for

nitrate the WFD set a 50mg/l annual average level.

Why we need WAgriCo - 2

• The project is programmed to run over a3 year period and commenced on 1 October 2005 and finishes at the end of September 2008.

• There are 10 primary tasks to deliver the project outputs and each task has its own objectives, activities and milestones.

Project Delivery

Project Delivery - Tasks - 1

1 Project management and reporting and establishing project infrastructure.

2 Communication and participation process.

3 Setting geographical priorities to plan measures and environmental objectives.

4 Measure planning and compilation of programmes of measures (based on Task No. 3).

5 Implementation of primary measures – intervention (based on Task No. 4).

Project Delivery – Tasks - 2

6 Implementation of secondary measures – protection areas (based on Task No. 3).

7 Micro-Macro Agro-Economic Analysis.

8 Checking the results of the programmes of measures (evaluation of measures) (relates to Tasks No. 5 and 6).

9 Establishment of programmes of measures under the WFD in state agro-environmental programmes.

10 Demonstrating the added value of WAgriCo results and conclusion.

Based upon the river

catchments of

• Frome

• Piddle

• Wey

In South Dorset, UK.

Project Catchment - 1

Project Catchment - 2

River basins covering approximately

100,000 hectares

Based upon the river

catchments of

• Ems

• Weser

• Elbe

In Lower Saxony, Germany

Project Catchment - 3

Project Catchment - 4

River basins covering approximately 300,000

hectares

Empool Borehole Nitrate Concentration

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

01-J

an

-83

05-J

an

-88

08-J

an

-93

12-J

an

-98

16-J

an

-03

20-J

an

-08

23-J

an

-13

27-J

an

-18

31-J

an

-23

04-F

eb

-28

Nit

rate

co

ncen

trati

on

(m

g/l

NO

3)

measured nitrate data PCV mg/l NO3 Linear (measured nitrate data)

Courtesy of Wessex Water

Winterbourne Abbas Borehole Nitrate Concentration

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

Nitra

te A

s N

mg/l

Nitrate as N mg/l DWI Limit 11.3 mg/l Nitrate as N Linear (Nitrate as N mg/l)

Identifying Issues

Catchment Characterisation

• Farm auditsThese were undertaken by experienced farm

adviser who assessed the pollution risk based upon use and storage of fertilisers and Manure.

• Nutrient budgets

Characterisation was assessed by determine the farm gate balance based upon the farm records.

There was a strong similarity between the methods used although there were local variances.

Implementing Solutions - 1

Programme of Measures:

• Primary;

• Secondary.

Implementing Solutions – 2

Primary Programme of Measures:• Fertiliser recommendations;• Manure management;

– advice on rates (analysis); and – advice on timing;

• Cover crops;• Fertiliser spreader calibration;• Spring manure application; and• N balance/N efficiency.

Implementing Solutions – 3

Measure % Uptake by Farmers

Fertiliser recommendations 81

Manure management plans & waste audits 52

Cover crops 19

Fertiliser spreader calibration 44

Moving from autumn to spring application for slurries & poultry manures

10

Use of on-farm N-efficiency 27

Assessing Effectiveness

Monitoring:

• Water quality/level sampling;• Soil mineral N sampling;• Routine soil sampling;• Grain N sampling; and• Manure sampling.

Modelling

Sharing Knowledge - 1

Meetings have been held with farmers and stakeholders to share knowledge and discuss subjects such as:

• Pilot catchments;

• Programme of measures;

• Nitrogen balance and N-efficiency;

Sharing Knowledge - 2

• Water Quality and modelling;

• The PLANET workshop;

• Secondary Measures;

• Micro-Macro economic analysis;

• Exchange visits with Lower Saxony;

• Relationship with CSF, ESF, etc.

The Drinking Water Alternative Solution

Ion Exchange plant

Granular Activate Carbon Plant

Courtesy of Wessex Water

Key Messages

• No single approach will achieve large reductions in N losses to the environment, but a range of smaller, cost effective N management measures may have a significant effect

• The use of catchment advisors is essential, feedback from farmers has indicated that advice is a key element in tackling diffuse pollution

• Farmers are keen to learn and use nutrients more efficiently on their farms

Concluding ……

WAgriCo provides the opportunity to:

• demonstrate that management of agriculture practices in vulnerable areas should provide positive water quality changes;

• provides for the UK partners to continue to identify and measure effectiveness;

• promote the effectiveness of co-operative agreements in Lower Saxony to the UK..

The project supports and add too

Sustainable Water Resource Management and Sustainable Agriculture

to deliver the concept of

Catchment Sensitive Farming

…..and finally

Thank you