Salmon and Trout Association: Water Resources

Water resource management is a key issue of concern for S&TA. Healthy rivers, fish and invertebrate populations depend on adequate water quantities. But, as human populations continue to expand, so does the demand for water. Removing and diverting water from streams and rivers can have detrimental impacts on aquatic biodiversity (see: Abstraction). Urgent action is required as current abstraction practices are affecting the environment in many areas of England and Wales.

Improved water efficiency will be vital in overcoming environmental damage caused by abstraction. This will include leakage control, smart domestic metering with progressive tariffs that protect poorer households, more water-efficient appliances in the home, building regulations that conserve water and, above all, public education programmes around the importance of conservation measures (see: Blueprint for Water).

We urge you to act responsibly; conserve water in your homes, and help keep water in our rivers.

In England and Wales, the Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for managing water systems and abstraction licenses under the Water Resources Act 1991. The EA run;

• Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies (CAMS); developed to provide a consistent mechanism for managing water use through catchment planning and licensing, and to provide the information necessary for the review of existing licences and for the assessment of new licenses, all of which will be time-limited. The first formal cycle of CAMS commenced in 2001, and concluded in March 2008.
• Restoring Sustainable Abstraction (RSA) Programme; set up in 1999 to identify sites which may be at risk from abstraction, and to prioritise how to resolve the conflicts in these areas. An ongoing review is taking place to identify environmental damage still occurring as a result of abstraction, focusing on sites designated under the Habitats and Birds Directives.

The Environment Agency has the power, under existing legalisation, to vary or revoke abstraction licenses causing environmental damage. However, where these are licenses of right (not time-limited), compensation may have to be paid to the licence holder.

There is also concern over the effectiveness of the CAMS process in aquifer-fed catchments such as the Bourne Rivulet, where the Environment Agency are still allowing high levels of winter abstraction in the Test & Itchen CAMS. This is deemed acceptable because of high seasonal rainfall, but continuing abstraction during these winter months is jeopardising replenishment of the aquifer, with potential to impact the ecology of watercourses.

The S&TA believes that WFD compliance will be compromised if further action is not taken to address damaging abstractions through altering their licenses. This could lead to the EU initiating legal infraction proceedings against the UK Government.

Consultation responses:

S&TA (2009). Draft Flood and Water Management Bill
S&TA (2009). Proposals for Time Limiting Abstraction Licenses
S&TA. (2007). EA’s: Review of Water Abstraction charges scheme 2007
S&TA. (2007). EA: Risk Based Regulation of Discharges to Water
S&TA. (2005). Catchment Abstraction Management
S&TA. (2005). Operational Framework for Trading Abstraction Rights in England and Wales
S&TA. (2003). EA Trading Water Rights

For further information see;

EA. (2008). Managing Water Abstraction Interim Update.
EA. (2007). Water for People and the Environment
EA. (2007). Understanding Water for Wildlife. Water Resources and Conservation.
EA. (2002). Managing Water Abstraction.