Our long-term aim is to see the River Rother and its tributaries that flow across the South Downs landscape, become the beacon of good river health within a National Park.
We want it to be a flourishing river system, guided and championed by all. But to get there a coordinated, urgent and ambitious approach will be necessary if we are to achieve Good Ecological Status for every stretch of this river catchment.
This will require dramatic improvements in reducing pollutants entering the water; the removal of many barriers that currently restrict the free movement of wildlife; and changes in land management, particularly along the river corridors.
We will need to address questions around what good looks like, and balance the requirements of food production, water quality, water quantity and improving soil health all whilst maintaining a rural economy. With wetter warmer winters and hotter drier summers, we’ll need to ensure the local landscape is even more resilient to an increasingly challenging climate.
People throughout the riverscape are coming together to help the Western Rother and have formed The Rother Partnership.
As more stakeholders and landowners come on board and the local community becomes ever-more engaged in the state of the local rivers and streams, we will start to see these big changes that are much needed.
Bringing together organisations, landowners, farmers and local communities, this partnership will co-develop and deliver projects to allow the Western Rother riverscapes to flourish again.
The Partnership and the Rother Action Plan are coordinated by us, the Western Sussex Rivers Trust (WSRT).
