Devon and Cornwall Soils Alliance Caudworthy – Business Case Ross Cherrington
December 2021
©Derek Harper (CC BY-SA 2.0)
1 Introduction
The following report provides a brief business case overview of the findings from the feasibility study area, which is one of nine across the Devon and Cornwall region funded by the Water Environment Grant (WEG). These waterbodies fail the WFD for sediment related issues and these business cases provide evidence as to type and location of soil and sediment issues, degree of farm advice and grant required to support business, regulatory issues/failings and whether current farming practices within the catchment are aligned with inherent land capability.
2 Caudworthy Water
2.1 Background
Caudworthy Water is situated in North Cornwall, it feeds into the River Ottery which is a tributary of the River Tamar and is approximately 2600ha (Figure 1). There has been an intensification of farming practices over the last 10 years and during wet weather walkover surveys it was confirmed that there are a number of issues in the catchment, including erosion, poaching and run-off.
2.2 Deskbased study
The GIS pack is generally accurate Although the remote mapping does not take into account the impact of high stocking rates, rainfall on the catchment, access points orfarmer interaction.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) have been working in the Caudworthy Water catchment since 2004 and have built up a good relationship with most of the landowners and have seen a number of changes during that period. The number of cows has increased and intensity of land management increased similarly. WRT has seen large investments in a number of farms
including slurry stores, dung stores, fencing and recently two of the most polluting farms have changed either ownership or management. A large estate at the bottom of the watercourse has recently announced it wants its tenants to become environmentally friendly.
The desk study is the very simplest base level of the catchment investigation and will always be slightly out of date. The Soil Mentor undertaking the feasibility study has indepth knowledge of the catchment, and the soil type does suggest risk, but farmer attitudes, history and limitations increases the risks and improves the information level.
2.3 Literature summary
- Tamar DTC Sub-catchments Water Quality: 2012 summary WRT.
- The Demonstration Test Catchments Evidence Compendium. March 2020.
- Caudworthy – Case Study Westcountry Rivers Trust.
2.4 Fieldwork findings
Some of the wet weather walkovers and communications with farmers were impacted by covid-19 regulations. The catchment is now mostly Improved grassland, some narrow areas of floodplain wetland within river corridor with an SSSI in the North West of catchment.
Dry weather soil pits have shown that in general the soil conditions were in good order with good soil moisture to depth. Although it is important to note that the most intensive farms in the middle Caudworthy were not sampled as permission was denied, or the new owners were not available to be contacted. Old permanent pasture did show signs of compaction at the surface where sheep grazed and at 7.5cm where cattle grazed but this was not uniform on all sites.
Most cattle are housed during the winter months but there is one farm that still practices some out wintering with bales on kale. Not enough slurry storage on at least eight of the ten dairy farms. Generally old, and not SSAFO compliant. Insufficient storage reduces the flexibility of farmers to apply when soil conditions are at their optimum, leading to trafficking when wet compacting the surfaces, increased risk of nutrient run off and potential fine sediment movement down slopes.
There are a few sheep farms where winter grazing compacts the soil surface. Poor cattle tracks, leaky infrastructure, unfenced stretches of river with open cattle access, were observed. As were small point source impact areas i.e. gateways, crossing points and farm tracks.
Lack of riverbank maintenance such as coppicing has reduced the variation of vegetation leading to mature trees with large root masses allowing water to erode the river banks above and below the root bowl
2.5 Regulation
The Soil Mentor was asked a series of questions that related to the issues and failings they observed in the catchment. These questions and the Soil Mentor’s responses are outlined in (Table 1).
In the Caudworthy Water catchment the Soil Mentor estimated that between 51-75% of the observed issues were classed as regulatory failings, this was similar in the majority of the catchments. The Soil Mentor suggested that all of the issues could be improved with better enforcement of the current regulations (Table 1, question 2).
1
Of the issues highlighted in the feasibility report, what percentage of these issues would be classed as regulatory failings? E.g. SSAFO, FRFW, X compliance. Please note, this is for the % of issues highlighted, not the % of the whole catchment?
Would better enforcement of current regulations such as FRFW, X-compliance, NVZ work towards improving the issues highlighted?
2.6 Land capability and landuse type
According to the Soil Mentor there was some evidence that the farming practices were not aligned with the land capability. There are probably four farms that are overstocked and whose business model has little room for change. Maize cultivation although greatly reduced still continues to impact on soil loss.
2.7 Solutions and recommendations
In addition to robust Environment Agency infrastructure inspections especially where Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) grants have been obtained, checking of storage calculations, grants for fencing and alternative water, support improvements with grant aid but with caveats to ensure future compliance, the Soil Mentor also recommended the following:
- Ensure all slurry and silage clamps are SSAFO compliant with no exemptions;
- Manage stocking rates and introduce closed periods for spreading slurries and dirty water, fence off remaining stretches of river;
- Manage river bank coppicing and soft revetments. Update gateways and farm tracks.
2.8 Estimated cost of remediation
The approximate costs of addressing the pollution issues in the catchment are shown in Table 2.
Recommendation
Estimated cost
Six silage roofs @30,000 £180,000
Gutters, concrete, diverters £200,000
5km fencing @ £7/m £35,000
2km improved cattle and machinery tracks £40/m £80,000
One Bridge/crossing point £10,000
Twelve cattle drinking points with alternative water @£300/site £3,600
Thirty gateway improvements @£250/each £7,500
One catchment based aerator @ £3,000 to be store on a farm in the catchment and used by individual farms when required
£3000
Nine covered slurry pits @ £60,000 £540,000
Total cost £1,059k (large)
2.9 Risks and Barriers associated with solutions
The risks associated with the approach outlined above identified by the Soil Mentor included:
- Changes to farming practice following Brexit and ELMS;
- Farmer intransigence “nobody’s going to tell me how to farm” is common in this catchment.
2.10 Benefits of change
What would be the benefits of this project?
Reduce compaction from unseasonal practices including reseeding, slurry and dirty water spreading and pressures on crossing and drinking points.
How would the benefits be realised?
Is there a mechanism that can explain the payback for any works carried out? E.g. Natural Capital Potential Carbon capture and reduction in carbon footprint. Some wetland increase with potential woodland planting.
Who are the likely funders to contribute?
South West Water (SWW), private companies offering tree planting, dairy companies possibly aiding assurance improvements through milk price benefits.
2.11 Lessons learnt
What went well
Confirmation that advisor knowledge and understanding of farm pressures within the catchment was still relevant and that soil influences were as expected.
What could be impoved
The study ostensibly suggests this is about soil management and yet it is infrastructure management that is influencing soil management within this catchment. Changes to future farm support and concern over ELMs and Brexit has impacted on farmer confidence and willingness to invest in the short term.