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Silt, soil, nutrients and the River Glaven.
Many organisations, including the Environment Agency, are asking farmers to help them reduce the amount of silt and nutrient diffuse pollution from agriculture affecting Norfolk’s rivers.
What is diffuse pollution?
Diffuse pollution originates over a large area such as a field and can occur when rain or irrigation water runs down a sloping field into a river. Any pesticides and fertiliser, including slurry and manure, which have recently been applied to the field, can be lost, along with silt and soil, into the river.
Through certain farming practices, run-off can occur in even moderate rainfall and damage to rivers can be caused without any tell-tale eroded field gullies being seen.
Preventing this pollution
Various farmers in the Glaven catchment have already taken steps to reduce diffuse pollution. If each landowner could implement appropriate, easy measures to reduce this diffuse pollution, valuable fertiliser and soil will not be lost and the River Glaven would benefit.
The Environment Agency locally will be identifying areas of land that may be causing diffuse pollution in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in 2005. We then hope to be employing a specialist contractor to give specific advice and work with the landowner to keep the soil and nutrients on the fields where they belong.
Many organisations, including the Environment Agency, are asking farmers to help them reduce the amount of silt and nutrient diffuse pollution from agriculture affecting Norfolk’s rivers.
What is diffuse pollution?
Diffuse pollution originates over a large area such as a field and can occur when rain or irrigation water runs down a sloping field into a river. Any pesticides and fertiliser, including slurry and manure, which have recently been applied to the field, can be lost, along with silt and soil, into the river.
Through certain farming practices, run-
Preventing this pollution
Various farmers in the Glaven catchment have already taken steps to reduce diffuse pollution. If each landowner could implement appropriate, easy measures to reduce this diffuse pollution, valuable fertiliser and soil will not be lost and the River Glaven would benefit.
The Environment Agency locally will be identifying areas of land that may be causing diffuse pollution in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in 2005. We then hope to be employing a specialist contractor to give specific advice and work with the landowner to keep the soil and nutrients on the fields where they belong.
Mud on the road
Flood risk
Soil erosion
Soil in streams
The polluting effects of silt and soil
The polluting effects of fertilisers and pesticides are generally well known but silt and soil also cause problems by coating the river bottom, smothering fish spawning grounds and building up to cause flooding of highways and nearby properties by reducing the capacity in the river.
Due in part to the slopes of the land and the types of soil in the area, the River Glaven has some problems with silt running off fields and into rivers and tributaries. Much of this pollution could be avoided.
Keeping soil and nutrients on the land
One of the keys to reducing the diffuse pollution from fields is timeliness. If land is worked in wet weather, compaction of the soil occurs, and then run-
· Other measures which may help reduce the amount of run-
Changes in farming
Farming subsidy allocation is undergoing a big change at the moment and in the long term this should help to benefit the environment. To receive their payments in future, farmers will need to not only continue to comply with various pieces of farming legislation (cross compliance), but also keep their land in good agricultural and environmental condition.
Most farmers in the Glaven valley have always looked after their soil but this new payments reform should encourage such measures to be taken by all.
Guidance has been produced by the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on soil management. To receive the payment, various steps to protect the soils have to be taken by the farmer during 2005, then further steps in 2006.
Many farmers are predicted to enter the ‘Entry Level Stewardship’ scheme, which will take soil protection further so this now plays an important part in ensuring that the farm receives its payment. This should help to reduce the amount of soil and nutrient pollution entering the Glaven.
This article and photographs has been prepared by Lisa Turner, Environment Agency, Norwich.
Please contact Lisa for further information on this subject.
Farming subsidy allocation is undergoing a big change at the moment and in the long term this should help to benefit the environment. To receive their payments in future, farmers will need to not only continue to comply with various pieces of farming legislation (cross compliance), but also keep their land in good agricultural and environmental condition.
Most farmers in the Glaven valley have always looked after their soil but this new payments reform should encourage such measures to be taken by all.
Guidance has been produced by the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on soil management. To receive the payment, various steps to protect the soils have to be taken by the farmer during 2005, then further steps in 2006.
Many farmers are predicted to enter the ‘Entry Level Stewardship’ scheme, which will take soil protection further so this now plays an important part in ensuring that the farm receives its payment. This should help to reduce the amount of soil and nutrient pollution entering the Glaven.
This article and photographs has been prepared by Lisa Turner, Environment Agency, Norwich.
Please contact Lisa for further information on this subject.
Diffuse pollution
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