Reducing pollution from farming in the River Don

Moving the location of a muck bay is a simple way to improve water quality

Only 30% of rivers in the Tyne catchment meet water quality targets. The River Don, which forms part of the Tyne catchment, is a failing water body. We’ve been working with the Environment Agency to improve its water quality by tackling pollution from farming.

One of the key areas for improvement is reducing run-off from farms close to the river. Simple measures such as moving and storing muck in a contained muck bay can significantly reduce the amount of dirty water that flows into the river.

Better fencing can stop farm animals from getting into the river and polluting it

The other ways we’re improving water quality in the River Don include:

• Improving fencing to reduce sediment and stop farm animals from entering the river
• Using green engineering such as willow spiling to reduce bank erosion and sedimentation of the upper Don
• Working with businesses close to the river to make sure their waste is not going into the river

This work is important to increase bio-diversity and improve the quality of spawning areas for Brown Trout.