Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership

Our vision is to create and protect a healthy and wildlife rich water environment within the Derbyshire Derwent Catchment, that will bring social, well-being and economic benefits to all.

Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is the host for the Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership, one of 93 catchment partnerships established across England.

The catchment of the River Derwent covers an area of 1,194km², covering much of the county of Derbyshire and much of the Peak District National Park. Rising on Howden Moor, tributaries flow into Howden, Derwent and Ladybower Reservoirs, and the water flows south below these reservoirs. This watercourse joins the River Noe - after its journey through Edale - at Bamford. This then becomes the River Derwent and flows though Froggatt, Baslow and Chatsworth Park. At Rowsley, it is joined by the River Wye which has travelled through Buxton, Bakewell and some of the most beautiful dales of the Peak District such as Monsal Dale and Chee Dale. The Derwent continues its course south through Matlock, Belper and then Derby. It finally joins the River Trent to the south west of Long Eaton where it then starts its journey north to the Humber Estuary.

Let us tell you more...

Who's involved?

There are 58 partners in the Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership, including:

Advyce (Transition Belper)

Amber Valley Borough Council

Amber Valley Ramblers

Banks Group

Blackwell Parish Council

British Canoeing

British Geological Survey

Bubnell Fly Fishing Club

Bullbridge and Sawmills Area Civic Society

Campaign for the Farmed Environment

Canal and Rivers Trust

Chatsworth Estate

Cromford Fly Fishers

DEB

Denby Pottery

Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust

Derby City Council

Derby Railway Angling Club

Derbyshire County Angling Club

Derbyshire County Council

Derbyshire Dales District Council

Derbyshire Dales Ramblers

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

Derwent Fly Fishing Club

DerwentWISE

Duffield Parish Council

Earl of Harrington’s Angling Club

Ecclesbourne Fly Fishing Club

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Environment Agency

Forestry Commission

Friends of Ecclesbourne Way

Friends of Markeaton Brook

Friends of Ripley Greenway

Hanson

Hilcote Environmental Leisure Project

Keep Britain Tidy

Lafarge Tarmac

Lowland Derbyshire Biodiversity Partnership

Matlock Angling Club

Matlock Canoe Club

Moors for the Future

National Farmers' Union

National Trust

Natural England

Old Waltonians Fly Fishing Club

Peak District National Park Authority

Peak Paddlers

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Severn Trent Water PLC

The Grayling Society

Trent and Peak Archaeology

Trent Rivers Trust

Turnditch Orchard Project

University of Derby

Wild Trout Trust

Wirksworth Town Council

The first Steering Group meeting was held in March 2015 and these are now held on a quarterly basis.

The Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership Plan has been formulated from all the information that has been gathered from catchment partners over the years. From this, we will prioritise projects, apply for funding and then relevant partners will implement work on the ground.

The Water Framework Directive

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is European Union legislation which requires all member states to improve the ecological status of their water bodies by 2027. It set measurable standards for water quality and conservation. The WFD regulations were enacted in UK law by the Water Act 2003.

In England and Wales, the Environment Agency is the ‘competent authority’ implementing the obligations of the WFD. This means it takes responsibility for analysis and monitoring of water bodies. It is also responsible for the enforcement of regulation, and for prosecution in the case of non-compliance.

The WFD is an important change in the way we manage our most precious resource. It encourages a holistic approach to water management, by considering not just the watercourses, but the entire landscape of the river basin. This is important, because almost everything that happens on the land has an effect on the water. Products of transport, agriculture, urban and industrial activity all run into the river.

River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) work on making the whole river environment healthier, which doesn’t just improve the water quality, it also makes the whole area better able to cope with changes in the future. RBMPs also include regular monitoring and review processes, an essential part of all good management plans.

River Ecclesbourne Restoration Project

The Ecclesbourne flows for around nine miles, disappearing underground in places, from the market town of Wirksworth until it meets the River Derwent near Duffield. It is popular with walkers who enjoy a stroll along its banks and with anglers who enjoy the appeal of the river’s brown trout population. The river supports a variety of wildlife including some important species such as white-clawed crayfish, mayflies, kingfishers and water voles, but it is facing challenges including pollution and weirs which prevent fish from migrating.

In 2022, work was undertaken by the Environment Agency and the Wild Trout Trust to remove Snake Lane Weir, Duffield, and open up the river further for fish migration. Following this success, the one remaining impassible weir on the river Ecclesbourne will be bypassed in Autumn 2023. Here, the original river channel will be excavated, allowing for the main watercourse to flow through it once more, bypassing the weir at the site of the former Postern Mill.

To find out more about the Ecclesbourne Restoration Project click the links below:

Catchment Maps

Catchment maps displaying the latest Environment Agency classification for the individual water bodies in the Derbyshire Derwent are available at the Environment Agency’s Catchment Data Explorer.

The Catchment Data Explorer is designed to help you explore and download information about the water environment used in the consultation on the updates to the River Basin Management Plans. You can find catchments and water bodies of interest using a map, or by searching for names, view summary information about catchments, download data and follow links to other useful sites.

If you would like to find out more about the Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership or tell us about a project/event you’re planning or would like to get off the ground, please email us at livingrivers@derbyshirewt.co.uk

Derbyshire Derwent Interactive Map