The ColneCAN Conference 2024: A day focused on bringing a better understanding of the wider catchment including the geology, ground water implications, sewer system, pollution and water quality issues.

There was a great turn out for the annual conference of the Colne Catchment Action Network (ColneCAN) on Wednesday 2nd October at Woodoaks Farm. The day was very well received by the 90 attendees. Reflecting the success of last year’s conference, we had made more space, yet this filled up almost immediately the invites were sent.

Water quality, both surface and ground, was a feature of the presentations – it is a subject which has often been in the headlines over the past year. The untreated sewage discharges and pollution of our rivers is appalling. However not enough of the media coverage attempts to examine the causes and try to find solutions. The presenters commented on the knowledge and experience of those who came, enabling them to present complicated material and arguments. It is reassuring to discover that so many care about the fragile catchment of the River Colne and are keen to collaborate to protect and restore it.

The day was organised by Tony Booker, ColneCAN co-host. Tony has been in post for 18 months now and has been working tirelessly for the catchment with all the passion and dedication for which he is well known. Tony kicked off the day with an introduction to the talks and a run through of the agenda.

Presentations

In the morning, we were fortunate to have some fascinating presentations. After Tony had set the tone, Rose Lewis from the Soil Association welcomed everyone to Woodoaks Farm and explained their philosophy. Dr Andrew Farrant from the British Geological survey followed with ‘the geology of the Colne catchment; new maps and models and implications for Chalk streams’. Next up was Alister Leggatt from Affinity Water who talked about improving understanding of karst geology to protect drinking water through catchment management: Case study from the Upper Colne. The last talk before the break was David Harding of Thames Water, who had kindly agreed to give an overview on Colne Valley Sewerage History.

After the break Dr Thomas Miller of Brunel University gave us ‘Monitoring of emerging chemical contaminants in UK surface water. Then Hannah Parry Wilson from the River Chess Smarter Water Catchment talked on ‘Integrating citizen science in catchment management on the River Chess’.

You can read all the details of the ColneCAN Conference 2024 Presentations Here.

Questions

All the presenters formed a panel. The questions were on

• the cause of the high level of pharmaceuticals in the samples taken from the river.

• If money was no object what would be the key solutions?

• How to get these issues onto the government agenda.

• The amount being spilt from sewage treatment works.

• The timescale on implementation of remediation works to ground water.

• How will the Affinity Water data be used to make change.

• How can misconnections be avoided in the first place?

• What can be done with the data on emerging contaminants?

We ran out of time to answer all the questions from the audience, if you still have question please email them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

Venue

It was Tony’s idea that this be the first ever conference held in the 16th Century Black Barn at Woodoaks Farm. Instead of hiring seating, part of the budget went towards buying new chairs which the hirers can use for future events. The venue went down well with the attendees. If you’re a first time visitor or want to know more about the site, you can find out more here.

Interactive Lunch

The Tea Shack, located on the farm, provided an amazing, abundant buffet lunch which everyone raved about. During lunch Debbie Valman from Groundwork South invited delegates to fill out a survey asking for input and ideas for the Colne Valley Regional Park’s next Heritage Lottery application.

Afternoon Walks

After lunch there were guided walks onsite at Woodoaks Farm and at Maple Lodge Nature reserve close by.

Displays

There was a display of the ReAP-UK & Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme: how plastic waste is collected from rivers, canals, lakes, and oceans and properly recycled and thus kept out of landfill. Hannah Parry Wilson had brought a display which gave more detail on the Citizen Science project on the Chess and there was a third display from the Colne Valley Park.

More Questions

The day concluded with final questions:

The sediment work done by the Chess Smarter Water Catchment – how much contamination is getting into the river and what are the sources?

The conversation concluded with the suggestion that the worst pollution sources in the catchment be identified and referred to local politicians.

Tony Booker said: “The harsh truth is that being a conservationist can be depressing because we know and can see so much is wrong – the positivity and commitment of everyone at conference however provides an annual injection of enthusiasm and determination that is wonderful to experience”

Debbie Valman, Groundwork South: "It was good to see all the data and research that has been done, because you can’t make things better until you have all the detailed evidence to fully understand. That is coming together to give us the true picture and whilst the data might be depressing, it’s the bedrock of how we can campaign for improvements."

Conclusion

We’d like to thank everyone for coming, especially our chair Tony Booker and the excellent presenters, who worked long and hard on specialised material for us today. We are very grateful for their knowledge and expertise. Not forgetting the team at Woodoaks Farm and a big thank you to our sponsors Affinity Water and Thames Water for making the conference possible. Protecting the Colne Catchment from all the current problems not least pollution, water quality, water quantity and invasive species is no mean feat and to see we have so many people on our side is encouraging. (Click here to be reminded of our vision.) The task now is to harness all that positive energy.

Feedback

Thank you to everyone who has already filled in and returned their feedback form, we are delighted to see so many positive comments and will endeavour to take all your ideas on board. It's not too late to give feedback, please download the form here and return to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. follow us on Twitter @colnecan and keep an eye on our website www.colnecan.org.uk which we are in the process of updating. Please get in touch if you can help with that, especially if you have details of a project that needs updating.

Guided walk to Maple Lodge Maple Reserve in the afternoon.

More Information

ColneCAN Conference Agenda with Attendee list on Reverse

Local River Pollution Problems need Solutions

the Black Barn Project at Woodoaks Farm 

 

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