Distributed to Subscribing Subscribers, Volunteers, Members & Directors
Dear xxxx Newsletter March 2018
Lots has been happening since our 1st newsletter as we look to engage with volunteers and develop our strategy following your input to the Survey. This newsletter now reaches over 580 people.
Volunteer Engagement
On Monday the 19th Feb we distributed a further 376 emails to people who had expressed an interest in becoming further engaged with us in one of our many volunteer activities. We asked people to register on our website and provide us with some information about themselves such as skills and interests, so we can hopefully place people into the roles that match not only their preference, but their skills and interests. To date we have 27 people registered which is a huge success and we will contacting each person personally before we hold an open forum for all volunteers on the 17th April.
Launch Event 20th May – “Let’s Get Talking”
We have created a subgroup of members to bring this event together, with an overall theme of “let’s get talking”. We are in discussions with potential non-commercial stallholders, who will have 10-12 stands in the Atrium. We are also scoping the agenda for a number of lectures that we plan to hold throughout the day, in the Forums 120 seat Auditorium.
Angling Education/Conservation leaflet
We have secured funding for a PAC led leaflet explaining the needs for improved handling and education of both Pike and Coarse fish in the Broads. One of the outcomes from the recent Pike tagging program was the numbers of fish seen impacted by poor handling or inappropriate tackle. This will be available in readiness for the 20th May event.
Vision and Aims
We are currently working up a set of Aims and Visions that will be presented along with the revised Broads Angling Strategy at the launch event. We want to ensure that we have a set of achievable aims, for the short, medium and long term that people can relate to. We will be discussing this further with our volunteers on the 17th April.
Prymnesium News
Prof Rob Field and his team at JIC have released further news on their research and finding in the understanding and management of this toxic alga which impacts the Northern Broads. This world leading science should enable the management of any alga bloom before the onset and release of toxins deadly to fish. Work is now underway to establish the techniques to be implemented in the field. The JIC press release is available here,
Broads Local Plan
We replied to the BA consultation on the Broads Local Plan and have succeeded to have the following statement added to ensure access to the water forms part of planning development policy PUBDM27.
“There is no loss of local or visitor facilities, such as moorings, access for angling and access to the waterside.”
This is an important change for angling access and should help secure bankside access on future developments.
Wensum RDF Development
It seems that this application will be before the Norfolk County planning committee on the 23rd March.
The judgement in front of the committee is which group of consultant advice they believe best lays out the risks to the river and surrounding landscape. The recent fire at the North Walsham RDF plant demonstrates the risk these plants pose to the environment.
Wensum Flow and Abstraction
After some continued dialogue with the Agency, we have finally seen the reforms being forced on abstractors along the Wensum Valley. The process overseen by Natural England, protecting the health of the SSSI/SAC designated river is broken into 3 sections. Source to Fakenham (AP5), Fakenham to Swanton Morley (AP7), Swanton Morley to Hellesdon Mill (AP8). The overall process is based on actual historic flows against time in percentage terms. This is presented using a graph know as a flow duration curve.
In terms of what this means at the 3 locations, at an assessment point of Q95 (More than 5% of the time, which is the legal target for the Agency to manage abstraction impact on flow known as Q95)
AP5 has a flow deficit of 2.6Ml/Day for around 95 days per year Q74
AP5 has a flow deficit of 1.5Ml/Day to be recovered to meet Q95 and then exceed this 18 days per year
AP7 has a flow deficit of 2.1Ml/Day for around 2 days per year Q99.5
AP7 has a flow surplus of 2.6Ml/Day for 348 days per year Q95
AP8 has an average flow deficit of 29.7Ml/Day for around 193 days per year Q47
AP8 has a flow deficit of 48Ml/Day to be recovered to meet Q95 and then exceed this 18 days per year
AP5 Is seeking to place changes on time limited licenced abstraction in this area.
AP8 is forcing Anglian Water to move their Public Water abstraction point from Costessy to downstream of the SAC area to the Heigham works and a significant infrastructure investment. 48Ml/Day represents about 13% capacity of a normal size 25m swimming pool. However this still means that downstream of this Heigham extraction, there remains low flows. Which we need to understand the impact and residual freshwater flow as the river becomes tidal above New Mills. Is this allowing more saline incursion up the river, a question many are asking.
Faithfully
The Members of The Broads Angling Services Group, A Community Interest Company.
