THE LOWESWATER CARE PROJECT
 lake background
 how we got here
 where we might be going
LOWESWATER
- catchment area of 800 hectares
- largely agricultural with some forest
and open fells
- grazed mainly by sheep with smaller
numbers of cattle
catchment contains
- 31 properties
- 8 working farms
- 63 full-time population equivalents
- 18 sewage treatment plants
- 1.6 km long, 0.5 km wide
- volume = 5,400,000 m3
- average depth = 8.4m
- maximum depth = 16m
- mean retention time = 200 days
history of increasing eutrophic
character (algae and cyanobacteria)
due to increased inputs of
phosphates from fertilisers/wastes
and possibly from lake sediments
HISTORY OF RECENT WORK
 1999 EA West Cumbria Local Environmental Action Plan (LEAP)
– need for further information on the algal blooms occurring in
Loweswater
 2000 University College London study
– changes in agricultural practices
– nutrient management plans for farmers
– improved maintenance of septic tanks
– More use of phosphate-free detergents
HISTORY OF RECENT WORK
 2002 Loweswater Improvement Group
– established by local farmers after F&M crisis
– aim to gain information about how to improve
agricultural practices and to address potential
pollution sources through working together
and with outside agencies and scientists
Biodisc
– nutrient budgeting exercise in collaboration
with ADAS
– soil pH survey and consequent liming to
raise soil pH
– farm waste survey
– replacement of 5 septic tanks with packaged
sewage treatment plants in 2007
Reed Bed
HISTORY OF RECENT WORK

2004-6 studies by Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and
Lancaster University (LU)
–
–

CEH study on impacts of farming practices on the lake involving sampling
of input streams for P analysis, algal monitoring and lake modelling
Lancaster University scoping study for later multi-disciplinary study of lake
catchment
2007-2010 CEH/LU study
“Understanding and Acting within Loweswater: A Community Approach
to Catchment Management” = Loweswater Care Project (LCP) aiming
to
–
–
–
create a mechanism that allows the community, stakeholder and
institutions to come together and make decisions
carry out further research on the ecology of land and water in the
catchment and studies of institutional regulation and management
to see if the way that has evolved to bring together local communities,
institutional stakeholders and researchers of different disciplines is
beneficial and can be transferred to other situations.
COMMUNITY-LED LOWESWATER CARE PROJECT:
OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
 key factors for future operation
– technical focus, water or wider?
– geographical focus, lake catchment or wider?
– who are main stakeholders?
 The Melbreak Communities
– new partnership between 4 local Parish Councils
– developing Community Action Plan with focus on safety/security,
transport, housing, valley services, recreation and the environment
 Derwent Rivers Trust
– newest of 34 Rivers Trusts across the UK
– already some collaboration on control of Himalayan Balsam
 National Trust
– owners of the lake and some nearby land
 An independent body
CONTACTS AND REFERENCES

Websites
– Lancaster University
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/projects/loweswater/
– The Melbreak Communities
http://www.melbreakcommunities.org.uk/activities/loweswater-care-project/

Contacts
– Ken Bell, local farmer and researcher on LCP
– Leslie Webb, local resident
– Claire Waterton, Lancaster University

References
– Bennion et al “Water Quality Investigation of Loweswater, Cumbria” Final
Report to the Environment Agency by the Environmental Change Research
Centre, University College London, May 2000
– Maberly et al “An investigation into the potential impacts of farming
practices on Loweswater” CEH Report to the Rural Development Service
and the National Trust, January 2006.
– Waterton et al “Understanding Loweswater: Interdisciplinary Research in
Practice”, J. Agricultural Economics, 2006, 57, 2, 277–293.