North Devon Focus Area Project
Partners - North Devon Biosphere Service, Environment Agency, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and local farmers
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The North Devon Biosphere offered grants and advice to farmers in the River Caen catchment and Bradiford Water through the Taw Torridge Estuary Project. Beginning in 2015/16 (year 1) the project is now the North Devon Focus Area Project and in its sixth year (2020/21) with it's focus area in the Rye and Chelfham stream catchments.
This work is helping to reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture, create new wildlife habitats, and reduce flood risk. The project area is shown in the map below. Typical sources of water that can be treated are:
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YouTube video "Creating New Farm Wetlands" showing some of the projects undertaken in year 1 of the Estuary Project
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FOCUS AREA MAP (click to enlarge)
Constructed wetland funded by the Estuary Project in 2015/16
Benefits of the scheme are;
Project workshops to facilitate landowner discussions
Looking at new hedgerows with the Devon Hedge Group discussing their benefits to flood management
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The Project is supporting various techniques to reduce diffuse pollution and soil erosion including:
Simple interventions:
Larger interventions:
All these measures can reduce water pollution from agriculture as well as improving the soil structure and offering secondary benefits such as encouraging wildlife and reducing flood risk to downstream communities such as Barnstaple. Depending on the nature of individual farms, the wastewater, designs will vary in complexity from those you can easily create yourself, to something which requires more technical support which is available from the project. 
Constructed baffle ditch funded by the Estuary Project 2017/18
Project Reports
Workshop in year 4 discussing riparian buffer strips and leaky log dam measures
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Sophia Craddock: 01271 388495 or 01271 388647 Email: sophia.j.craddock@devon.gov.uk