Sampling & monitoring


Dr Clare Benskin employs a YSI multiparam- eter sonde, in a flow-through chamber, to measure conductivity, temperature, pH, dis- solved oxygen, turbidity and Chlorophyll-a


IN LINE with the objectives of the European Water Frame- work Directive (WFD), a national £6.2M project aims to identify sustainable agri- cultural practices that would limit or reduce detrimental effects on groundwater and river water quality while maintaining food production and the profitability of farm businesses.


Initiated by Defra and the Environment


the project involves three Demonstration


Agency Test


Catch-


ments (DTCs) at the rivers Eden (Cumbria), Wensum (Norfolk) and Avon (near Salisbury). Each DTC is col- lecting high resolution data 24/7 from a network of water quality monitoring stations, most of which were designed and installed by the EA’s Na- tional Water Quality Instru- mentation Service (NWQIS). With almost three quarters of the UK’s land surface in ag- ricultural production, diffuse pollution from farming activi- ties has a major effect on the quality of water resources and associated ecosystems. How- ever, the relationship between agriculture and the environ- ment is extremely complex so the DTC project seeks to pro- duce evidence to test the hy- pothesis that we can cost-ef- fectively reduce the impact of agriculturally-derived diffuse pollution on ecology and the delivery of ecosystem services through the implementation of multiple on-farm measures. The DTC programme tests the efficacy of both novel and existing measures that can be integrated into farming prac- tice without disproportionate- ly impacting food production. The evidence base for exist- ing measures will be drawn together from work already being undertaken within the DTCs and elsewhere within the UK and Europe. The DTC project has three main objec- tives: • Provide sound evidence for policy makers that spe- cific measures and changes to farming practice can benefi- cially affect water quality • Develop practical measures for controlling sources and pathways as part of a catch- ment management approach • Create sustainable, trans- parent research platforms with clear visibility for all stakeholders


There is a need for the work to be knowledge based, adap- tive and participatory, so an important feature of Integrat- ed Catchment Management is to involve all stakeholders and better understand the


(EA),


es in land use, rain- fall, flow.


The monitoring pro-


A national project initiated by Defra and the Environment Agency aims to identify sustainable agricultural practices that would reduce the detrimental effects on groundwater without hitting farm business.


Making agriculture more sustainable


relationships between dif-


ferent socio-ecological fac- tors. It should be possible to determine the best possible agricultural practices to re- duce diffuse pollution, but the implementation of such measures will only be effec- tive with the cooperation of stakeholders.


The DTC project involves more than 40 research insti- tutions and other groups such as the EA, river trusts, farm- ers and land owners.


The three DTCs were cho- sen for their variable natural features, agricultural land use


and the past research or level of monitoring and manage- ment – all three are enhanced monitoring catchments under the England Catchment Sen- sitive Farming Delivery Initia- tive (ECSFDI).


Each DTC has employed the Before-After Control-Im- pact (BACI) approach to the monitoring of water quality, which compares a manipu- lated stream with a non-ma- nipulated stream before and after implementation of a mitigation measure.


gation


Data recorded pre-miti- provides


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against which post-mitigation monitoring can be compared. The control stream provides


additional spatial reference that can be used to factor out confounding effects of chang-


gramme’s main objec- tives include understanding the system, and verifying the success/failure of interven- tions to the system.


The NWQIS designed and commissioned two high-spec- ification walk-in monitor- ing stations at the catchment outlets for each of the three DTCs.


These include automatic samplers, YSI multiparam- eter sondes and analysers for phosphate, nitrate and am- monium. Also, NWQIS has designed and commissioned smaller stations (without the ammonium, nitrate and phos- phate analysers) at each of the DTCs.


Water flow is recorded by a combination of pressure transducer level monitors and SonTek/YSI Argonauts that combine multibeam doppler technology with channel pro- file data to provide instanta- neous discharge values. Water


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