Length: 73 miles/118km

Starts at: the confluence of Birkdale Beck and the Great Sleddale Beck

Flows into: River Ure

Flows past/through: Keld, Muker, Reeth, Richmond, Catterick, Thirsk, Morton on Swale

Notable features of the catchment: Wain Wath Force, Catrake Force, Richmond Falls, Gunnerside Gill, the meadows around Muker and the old lead mining landscape in Upper Swaledale, Swale Washlands

Species of interest: Brown trout, lowland waders (snipe, redshank and curlew)

• Nationally importance for migratory salmon and lampreys
• Support the most northerly natural populations of species like barbel, bleak and silver bream
• Otter
• Exposed riverine sediments support specialised invertebrate communities including the stiletto fly Cliorisma rustica (a UKBAP Priority Species) and the very rare click beetle Negastrius sabulicola (Godfrey, 2005)
• Riverbank tree trunks provide habitat for spruce’s bristle-moss (Orthotrichum sprucei), another UK BAP Priority Species and a speciality of the rivers draining from the Yorkshire Dales
• Mineral sites: little-ringed plover, avocet, oystercatcher
• Declining farmland species: brown hare, lapwing, linnet and tree sparrow
• Locally endangered /lost plants: marsh stitchwort, water germander

Designations: The Upper Swale is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and link flows past the moorlands of the North Pennines, designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) such as Lovely Seat-Stainton Moor.

In the Mid Swale are SSSI’s such as Richmond meadows and Swale Lakes and Local Nature reserves such as Nosterfield. The Middle and Lower catchment are within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone and through York there is a designated Drinking Water Protected Area (DrWPA) The Coast to Coast footpath crosses the catchment.

Previously identified issues raised during DVRN public consultations:

• Metal mine pollution
• Diffuse pollution from agriculture
• Physical barriers to fish passage
• Flooding
• Reduced habitat quality
• Impact of mineral extraction
• Lack of knowledge/understanding of rivers and they work

Top project priorities agreed by stakeholders in 2017:

• Habitat restoration – to restore, connect and expand upland habitats across Teesdale and Swaledale
• Improving water quality and ecological values – through improved riparian land management in Mid Swale
• Reducing impact of minerals extraction – strategic approach to after-use of sites following mineral extraction
• Metal mine work: to mitigate high levels of heavy metals entering the watercourses whilst retaining the historic integrity of the sites
• Fish passage: measures to increase flow diversity and to improve fish passage
• Real river classroom: Educate children and adults about the species which live in the river. Connect people to their local river

In 2022 the Environment Agency refreshed the River Basin Management Plan and the priority issues were listed as:

• Physical modifications
• Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
• Invasive non-native species

Click here for the link to the Aspirations Questionnaire for the River Swale.

Length: 74 miles/119km

Starts at: Ure Head on Abbotside Common

Flows into: The River Ouse

Flows past/through: Wensley, Middleham, Leyburn, Masham, Ripon, Boroughbridge

Notable features of the catchment: Pen Hill, Aysgarth Falls, Buttertubs pass, Hardraw Force, Semer Water, Thornborough Henges, Hackfall Woods

Species of interest: Sea lamprey, brown trout, white clawed crayfish, salmon, osprey, avocet, bittern, lowland waders

Designations: the top of the catchment is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and much of the catchment is dominated by North Pennine Moors SAC and SPA designated for its important plant communities. Semer Water SSSI is an upland lime-rich lake together with its inflow streams and important marginal wetland and meadow habitats and one of only two natural lakes in the Yorkshire Dales.  The mid catchment has the Mar Field Fen SSSI, Nosterfield Local Nature Reserve and SSSIs such as Ripon Parks, Ripon Loop, Ripon City Wetlands, High Batts and Bishop Monkton Ings.

Previously identified issues raised during DVRN public consultations:

• Flooding
• Diffuse pollution from agriculture
• Diffuse pollution from septic tanks
• Poor quality riparian habitat
• Physical barriers to fish passage
• Low oxygen levels
• Metal mine pollution

Top project priorities agreed by stakeholders in 2017:

• Strategic catchment management – partnership project to develop catchment management plan for the Upper Ure
• Improving water quality and ecological values – through improved riparian land management
• Metal mine work: to mitigate high levels of heavy metals entering the watercourses in the upper catchment
• Fish passage: measures to increase flow diversity and to improve fish passage along the Ure, the Laver and the Burn

In 2022 the Environment Agency refreshed the River Basin Management Plan, and the priority issues were listed as:

• Physical modifications
• Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
• Invasive non-native species

Click here for the link to the Aspirations Questionnaire for the River Ure.

Length: 56 mile/90km

Starts at: Nidd Head Spring on the slopes of Great Whernside

Flows into: The Ouse

Flows past/through: Lofthouse, Pateley Bridge, Dacre, Birstwith, Hampsthwaite, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Little Ribston, Nun Monkton

Notable features of the catchment: Angram, Scar House and Gouthwaite reservoirs, How Stean Gorge, Nidd Gorge

Species of interest: Brook lamprey, salmon, curlew, lapwing

Designations: The Upper reaches of the Nidd lie within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and include the North Pennine Moors SAC and SSSI’s such as East Nidderdale Moors SSSI.

The Middle and Lower Sections lie within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, a conservation designation for areas of land that drain into nitrate polluted waters or waterways that would become polluted by nitrates and be a risk to the environment.

Previously identified issues raised during DVRN public consultations:

• Physical barriers to fish passage
• Bank erosion
• Morphological change – connections between the river and the floodplain broken
• Lack of habitat due to channel maintenance strategies
• Diffuse pollution from agriculture

Top project priorities agreed by stakeholders in 2017:

• Invasive non-native species control: Himalayan balsam in Upper Nidderdale
• Extending the wild watch – with a focus of habitat connectivity
• Water friendly farming – focused on soils and Natural flood management
• Horses for watercourses – focused around improving land management against watercourses

In 2022 the Environment Agency refreshed the River Basin Management Plan, and the priority issues were listed as:

• Physical modifications
• Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
• Invasive non-native species

Click here for the link to the Aspirations Questionnaire for the River Nidd.

Length: 52 miles/84 km

Starts at: Ouse Gill Beck

Flows into: the Humber

Flows past/through: Linton on Ouse, Beningborough, York, Acaster Malbis, Naburn, Cawood, Kelfield, Barlby, Selby

Notable features of the catchment: Rawcliffe Meadows, Clifton Ings

Species of interest: Sea lamprey, brown trout, water vole (on tribs: Germany Beck, Blue Beck), tansy beetle

Designations: The river flows past the Clifton Ings and Rawcliffe meadows, Fulford Ings, Naburn Marshes, Church Ings and Acaster South Ings SSSIs and the lower reaches of the catchment are designated as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

Previously identified issues raised during DVRN public consultation:

• Flooding
• Sediment levels
• Low levels of dissolved oxygen
• Phosphate levels
• Diffuse urban pollution

Top project priorities agreed by stakeholders in 2017:

• Land management – to address sediment and nutrient loading issues in Mill Dike and Bishop Dike
• Ings management – restoring traditional wet Ings grassland management, linking, extending and buffering riparian habitats, including Tansy Beetle habitat
• Trees for water – using trees in the landscape to slow the flow, reduce sediment loss, increase shading and enhance biodiversity. Working with Land Managers and the Internal Drainage Boards.
• Salmon and lamprey monitoring at Linton on Ouse

In 2022 the Environment Agency refreshed the River Basin Management Plan, and the priority issues were listed as:

• Physical modifications
• Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
• Invasive non-native species

Click here for the link to the Aspirations Questionnaire for the River Ouse.

Length: 29 miles/47km

Starts at: the confluence of Carr Beck and Stony Lane Beck, south of Ingleby Arncliffe

Flows into: the River Swale

Flows past/through: East Rounton, Great Smeaton, Danby Wiske, Yafforth, Northallerton and Kirby Wiske

Species of interest: Otter, brown trout, lowland waders, declining farmland species: brown hare, lapwing, turtle dove, linnet and tree sparrow

Designations: there are Four Nature Conservation sites along the river – Middlebrough Plantation, Stony Lane Pond, Pepper Arden Bottoms and Pheasantry Wood & Fox Covert.  The lower reaches of the catchment are designated as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

Previously identified issues raised during DVRN public consultations:

• Sediment levels
• Diffuse phosphate pollution
• Lack of habitat diversity
• Metaldehydes
• Physical modifications
• Physical barriers to fish passage
• Flooding in Brompton and Northallerton
• Point source pollution
• Litter

Top project priorities agreed by stakeholders in 2017:

• Land management – to reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture, especially sediment, phosphate and metaldehyde
• Wetland management
• Natural flood management – focused around Brompton beck
• Natural flood management partnership –to identify opportunities, co-ordinate funding bids, create a hub of data sets, events and demonstration areas to promote NFM and encourage investment from downstream communities
• Water quality and citizen science monitoring – to look at changes in water quality over time
• How Beck – looking at culvert removal and restoration of a more natural course
• A19 and A road corridors – improvements to drainage infrastructure to reduce pollution to watercourses from road run-off

In 2022 the Environment Agency refreshed the River Basin Management Plan, and the priority issues were listed as:

• Physical modifications
• Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
• Invasive non-native species

Click here for the link to the Aspirations Questionnaire for the River Wiske.

Length: 19.5 miles/31km

Starts at: Foss Crooks Woods near Oulston reservoir.

Flows into: the Ouse

Flows past/through: Newburgh Priory, Easingwold, York, Brandsby, Stillingfleet

Notable features of the catchment: Strensall Common

Species of interest: Tansy beetle, white-clawed crayfish, water vole, common lizard, hobby, willow tit

Designations: Strensall Common SSSI and St Nicholas Fields Local Nature reserve

Previously identified issues raised during DVRN public consultations:

• Low levels of dissolved oxygen
• Sediment levels
• Phosphate
• Metaldehydes
• Fish passage and hydropower
• Flood risk
• Low ecological value
• Unsustainable land use

Top Project Priorities agreed by Stakeholders in 2017:

• Ings development –in relation to green corridors, flood storage and access
• Tansy beetle – land management focussed on linking, extending and buffering areas known to hold tansy beetle
• Trees – Right tree, right place – with benefits for river shading and increased biodiversity and links to education and research
• Sustainable urban drainage systems pack – equivalent to the Farmers NFM pack, that can guide homeowners, community groups and local planners

In 2022 the Environment Agency refreshed the River Basin Management Plan and the priority issues were listed as:

• Physical modifications
• Pollution from agriculture and rural areas
• Invasive non-native species

Click here for the link to the Aspirations Questionnaire for the River Foss.