The proposal:

We will reduce the movement of diffuse agricultural pollution, particularly P and fine sediment into the upper Deben Headwaters by providing farmers with the knowledge and tools required to slow the flow of water off their land and trap sediment and agricultural pollutants. Farmers will be invited to a workshop and offered free specialist on farm advice followed by the loan or provision of equipment and plant.  The initiative will be targeted at farmers and locations which have been identified using the Partnership’s ecosystem service opportunity mapping to be at the highest risk of causing water quality problems.  Working with partners we will engage with 10 land holdings to provide land and water management guidance resulting in the construction of a minimum of 20 flow attenuation features which will have a diffuse pollution benefit.

​

The outcome:

In the Upper Deben a workshop was run, in partnership with the Holistic Water Management Project, which allowed us to engage with 23 landowners. From this a number of project opportunities were identified. This has since led to four ‘slow the flow’ schemes (natural flood defence opportunities) to be designed and developed. These schemes were completed in and around Debenham village, which you can read more about here.

​