AUNE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
‘Conserving the Devonshire Avon from source to sea’
NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2014
It is my sad task to start this letter by bringing you some news of which many will be aware
already: John Peters, a hugely important member of our committee who had played a
fundamental role in guiding many of our initiatives in recent years, passed away on 7th
September. John's professional, scientific contributions on local issues affecting the Devon
Avon were invaluable; his knowledge and vast experience of hydrology and aquatic ecology
will be greatly missed.
Whilst remembering John, I’d like to thank the rest of the committee for the hard work they
have contributed in their different ways to help make the river a better place over the past
year: that is, Ros Brousson (Secretary & Treasurer), Pat Cassidy, Mike Cooper, Peter Marsh
Bill Starey and Eric White.
In recent years, the Aune Conservation Association has played an active role in improving
the Devon Avon through collaboration with other organisations in a variety of projects e.g.
the Avon Estuary Siltation Research programme, the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative,
the Devon Avon Group, the South Hams Rivers Improvement Project (SHRImP) and the
new, but still embryonic, Catchment Based Approach to River Basin Management (CaBA)
that was recently introduced by DEFRA. Details of much of this work may be found on our
website at http://www.auneconservation.org.uk.
In South Devon, the West Country Rivers Trust (WRT) and the AONB Unit will be
coordinating CaBA which has the objective of bringing the water quality of all the water
bodies in the area up to the standards required by the EU's Water Framework Directive.
CaBA will replace the SHRImP work financed by DEFRA's Catchment Restoration Fund and
has a broader remit. However, through its chairmanship of the Devon Avon Group, which
includes WRT and AONB representatives, the ACA will be maintaining the same focus on the
Devon Avon that was so successful in SHRImP - which was also managed by WRT. SHRImP
has resulted in many improvements throughout the Avon, particularly for migratory fish
species such as salmon, trout and eel but there is still much to do. Scott West (WRT)
presented an excellent and very informative talk entitled ‘Restoring good ecological
quality to the Devon Avon’ at a Kingsbridge Natural History Society meeting in
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ACA Newsletter – December 2014
at West Charleton Village Hall. Unfortunately, SHRImP will terminate in March 2015 and the
source of funds for further work is uncertain at present. However, we shall strive to carry its
momentum and enthusiasm into CaBA.
A document providing information for an Environment Agency consultation on the draft
update to the management plan for the South West River Basin District is available by
clicking on this link -South Devon (this is a big document and may take some time to
upload!). If after perusing this information, you have any views about how the River basin
Management Plan might be improved, please use this consultation as an opportunity to
respond by 10th April 2015. A response form is available here – RBMP Response form-1.
In my last Newsletter in April, I stated that many ACA members were concerned about the
impact of the sale of the Evans Estate. That sale has now been completed, of course, and
the name has been changed to the Bantham Estate. I have met with the owner, Nicholas
Johnston, and his Estate Manager, Ryan Hooper, and now have every confidence that we can
continue to enjoy a good working relationship both by direct personal contact and through
the biannual Avon Estuary Forums (AEF). The Bantham Estate takes the same holistic
approach to looking after the river's environment that we do in the ACA - i.e. everything
matters!
One example of this approach was the most recent special AEF, convened in November at
Follaton House with SWW, the Environment Agency, SHDC, DCC, the ACA, local parish
councils and other interested parties to discuss the quality of the water entering the estuary
at Aveton Gifford. The ACA's concerns are sewage overflows from two sources: the sewage
works at Aveton Gifford and the inadequate sewerage infrastructure serving Aveton Gifford in particular, the Jubilee Street area. The permitted 10 annual Combined Sewer
Overflows (CSOs) from the sewage works occur without warning after heavy rainfall.
Although not classified as a beach or as bathing water, this part of the estuary is used to
launch many watercraft and is enjoyed by a variety of river users of all ages for kayaking,
paddle boarding, general boating, swimming, etc. Most of these people remain in blissful
ignorance of what they might meet in the water! It seems that tidal waters which are
extensively used for recreational purposes fall outside the standard microbiological
monitoring regime merely because - amazingly - they are classified neither as traditional
coastal beaches nor as 'main river' for pollution monitoring purposes; no EU requirement for
monitoring exists. Until SWW improves the sewers at Aveton Gifford, it seems that the best
we can hope for is an advisory notice at Timbers car park and, possibly, a sewage alerting
service for users of the beach at Bantham and Bigbury. Details await further discussion;
meanwhile, be warned!
We have arranged a fairly successful, if poorly supported, series of events during 2014
although some of our clean-ups had to rearranged owing to foul weather and exceptionally
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high tides. These events really are tremendously enjoyable, social affairs. Everybody is
welcome to come and if the times don't suit you, let us know, please.
On Sunday 13th April we carried out a river clean along the Tidal Road from Milburn Orchard
to Aveton Gifford (we missed our planned New Year’s Day event).
On Wednesday 7th May a handful of us met at John Crawford’s memorial bench near the
downstream edge of Stiddicombe Wood (which now belongs to the Bantham Estate) for a picnic
tea. Although we enjoyed the floral beauty of this idyllic spot, cattle had been trespassing and
had trampled much of the flora. Ryan Hooper was informed and has taken action to stop a
recurrence.
On Saturday 14th June we held a Cockleridge beach clean in association with the Marine
Conservation Society.
On Friday 12th September – we enjoyed a walk and picnic lunch by the Avon Dam and on
Sunday 21st September we cleaned Cockleridge beach again, this time as part of the
Marine Conservation Society's ‘collect & count’ Beachwatch event. It's the rather tedious
counting that provides so much interesting information.
On Saturday 8th November we held another clean-up along along the Tidal Road and on
Friday 28th November, 20 of us met for another of our fantastic value, special ACA lunches
at the Oyster Shack; it seemed to last until early evening!
Please keep an eye on your e-mail inbox and on our website at
www.auneconservation.org.uk for further details about events in 2015. Frankly, it would be
gratifying if a few more of our 300 or so members showed an interest!
If you know of ACA members who do not have access to e-mail, could you share the
contents of this Newsletter with them, please?
By the way, if you have a dinghy or kayak on the river, it's worth painting your contact details
somewhere on it. One of our kayaks went adrift from Milburn Orchard in recent high tides
but, luckily, a couple of alert ACA members saw it on separate occasions on Cockleridge and
contacted us before it was washed out to sea. Many thanks to all concerned!
Finally, if you have any ideas for future ACA activities, please let me or another committee
member know and do, please, tell us about anything of interest anywhere on the river.
Have an enjoyable Christmas and a happy New Year - beside, in or on the river.
Stuart Watts (Chairman)
e-mail: sdmw2@btopenworld.com
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tel: 01548 810373
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