| Working to enhance the River Dart | |
|  | | Dartmouth: Where the River Dart meets the sea |
| | Conservation charity, The Devon Wildlife Trust has just been awarded its biggest ever grant for a single project, and is leading a £900,000 scheme to ensure the beautiful River Dart remains just that. |
| | | The River Dart is one of the jewels in Devon's crown. It winds its way through some of the county's most beautiful towns and villages and stretches from Dartmoor all the way down to Dartmouth, where it meets the sea.
It's an important stretch of waterway - not just for its beauty, but for environmental reasons, and because there are a lot of jobs which rely on the river remaining as clean as possible.
The importance of the River Dart has now been recognised with a major £900,000 project which aims to protect and enhance the entire length of the river over the next three years.
 | The West Dart on Dartmoor
Photo: Pat Trout |
The project is being led by the conservation charity, the Devon Wildlife Trust, which has received its biggest ever grant for a single project - £450,000 - to co-ordinate the enhancement.
The cash comes from a European initiative called Cycleau, which aims to protect waterways. Other Devon waterways involved in the project are the Rivers Axe, Exe, and Teign, and Slapton Ley.
The remaining £450,000 of the Dart project is being raised by partners, including the Environment Agency and South Hams District Council.
Cycleau (which is French for the water cycle) was launched in the far South West, Ireland, and Brittany in France because of the key role played by those areas' rivers.
Richard White of the Devon Wildlife Trust said: "Every drop of rain falling on Devon ends up in the sea, flowing through one of Devon's 12 estuaries.
"And everything we do to it on the way affects the health of the wildlife in rivers, wetland, estuaries and coastal waters.
"It's a lovely river with a little bit of everything - mudflats, oak woodlands that come down to the river's edge, and even seals coming up the estuary. It's marvellous."
 | | The River Dart in Totnes |
He added: "What is pioneering about this project is that it aims to manage the whole river.
"You can't manage the estuary separately from what happens upstream and you certainly can't do that without working with others."
The trust is currently recruiting extra staff to run the project, and it has appointed a project manager, Philip Moore. He will lead a four-strong team.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for the trust, the wildlife of the River Dart, and for everyone who lives, works or simply enjoys the river and its surrounding area," he said.
That includes oyster farmers at the river mouth, Dartmoor farmers, anglers, boat users, and the general public.
The River Dart catchment area covers 475 sq kms, and a population of 31,000 people.
A key element of the project is to involve communities and interested parties - whose activities could have an impact on others. For example, slurry run-off from farms affects the water quality and wildlife, and hits oyster farmers and other businesses.
Mr Moore said: "This is our chance to make a real
difference on how we view water as a commodity while also showcasing our sense of environmental awareness to the rest of Europe."
Article first published: 5th October 2003
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