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Map of catchment

🌿 The Gara Catchment (Slapton Ley)

 

The Gara catchment drains into the sensitive freshwater lagoon of Slapton Ley.

Pollution risks include agricultural runoff, septic tank leakage, pet waste, and CSO discharges.

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🧪 Site Selection & Rationale

  • Upstream (rural/agricultural sites)Assess agricultural and domestic contamination.

🐄 Nearby livestock and open slurry storage areas

NbS Opportunity: Cattle fencing, buffer strips with mixed planting, constructed wetlands

  • Midstream (before Slapton Ley)

Focus on cumulative pollutants and septic tank hotspots.

NbS Opportunity: Promote willow beds, awareness for soakaway inspections

  • Entry point to Slapton Ley

Key monitoring location for evaluating upstream interventions​

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🌿 River Avon Catchment

 

The River Avon faces pressures from cattle-in-river, pesticide runoff, and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSOs) near villages. This catchment offers strong opportunities for rural NbS interventions and community science.

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🧪 Site Selection & Rationale

  • Upper catchment (moorland source)

Control reference site - minimal contamination

  • Middle catchment (agricultural influence)

🐄 Cattle access, slurry spreading

NbS Opportunity: Riparian buffers, drinking points, swales

  • Tributaries (South Brent and Loddiswell)

Human-derived input and misconnections 

NbS Opportunity: Tree planting, Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) -style rain gardens

  • Avon Estuary mouth

Final integrative site for assessing cumulative sediment and pollution loads

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Catchments

Our focus areas are the River Avon, River Gara & Slapton Ley, and the Salcombe–Kingsbridge Estuary. 

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As part of the BLUEprint project, we are hosting a professional stakeholder summit designed to ensure robust engagement, shared ownership, and meaningful outcomes.

🌿 Kingsbridge & Salcombe Estuary

 

Urban runoff, dog fouling, garden/agricultural runoff, and boat discharge threaten this popular estuary. Focus is on urban greening and estuary inflow management.

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🧪 Site Selection & Rationale

  • Batson & Frogmore Creeks
    High foot traffic and freshwater inflows

    • NbS Opportunity: Educational signage, reed bed filters

    • Re-test after: Reed bed installation or awareness campaign

  • Bowcombe Creek
    Hobby farms, equestrian site runoff

    • NbS Opportunity: Swales, constructed wetlands

  • Kingsbridge town runoff
    Urban SuDS and bioretention opportunities

    • NbS Opportunity: Planters, community garden interventions

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