A project that supports local landowners, communities and volunteers to protect and enhance the health of the Ebble.
Project aims
The Crystal Clear Ebble project aimed to inspire communities and volunteers to take action to protect the River Ebble in a variety of ways:
- To celebrate the value of the river, and help it thrive into the future for the many benefits it provides to local communities and visitors.
- To understand the condition of the river – the current negative impacts that reduce the quality of the river and to identify other threats to the river through surveys and volunteer training.
- To deliver 60 individual positive interventions to improve the quality of the river and to influence the stewardship and management of the landscape and riverside residential properties to benefit the river quality.
- To support landowners, volunteers and communities in the active process of achieving the project aims.
Project achievements
River Ebble wildlife sightings survey
Survey information is vital in order to monitor the health of the River Ebble. Data was collected by members of the public and volunteers which will allow the Wessex Rivers Trust and the Chase & Chalke team to identify threats to river health. This data can then be used to effect positive change for the river habitat.
Volunteers recorded sightings of wildlife and plants on our online survey page or through the Survey123 Field app.
Volunteering on the Ebble
River Wardens: Our River Wardens received full training and acted as stewards of the river, playing a key monitoring role and encouraging continued commitment from landowners and communities to the quality of the river. They recorded and submitted wildlife sightings, reported any potential problems, monitored river features and acted as a point of contact for local parishes and communities, raising awareness about river issues.
Landowners and river management: We offer free advice and support to landowners in the Chalke Valley, or those whose garden borders the banks of the Ebble, on how to help manage the land for the benefit of the river.