River Thame Catchment Partnership
The Thame Catchment Partnership is jointly hosted by the River Thame Conservation Trust and Freshwater Habitats Trust. Together, we’re working for a healthy river catchment, valued and enjoyed by local people.
- The Waddesdon estate in Buckinghamshire, where Freshwater Habitats Trust and River Thame Conservation Trust have created new habitats for freshwater wildlife.
What is the River Thame Catchment Partnership?
The River Thame Catchment Partnership is a collaborative body, jointly hosted by River Thame Conservation Trust and Freshwater Habitats Trust, supported by funding from Defra and Thames Water.
The partnership brings together organisations and individuals whose activities and responsibilities have a bearing on the River Thame catchment and its freshwaters. The partnership was set up in 2017 as part of the Government-supported initiative, the Catchment Based Approach.
The remit of the Thame Catchment Partnership
The Partnership will take an interest over the whole river catchment, from the tiny trickling headwaters, to the expansive floodplains of the main river, all the tributary streams and myriad of small waters comprising of ponds, fens and other wetlands.
Our interest is not only in the freshwater habitats, but also the land, land use, and human activity within the catchment in terms of how affects the water environment.
- Hannah Worker of Freshwater Habitats Trust (centre) with attendees at the Water Conference 2022. Photo: River Thame Conservation Trust
The aims of the River Thame Catchment partnership
1 Learn more about wildlife and habitats
Increase our understanding of the freshwater habitats and species of the Thame.
2 Improve water quality
Tackle point source and diffuse pollution sources, such as agriculture and septic tank effluent.
3 Enhance biodiversity
Carry out habitat creation and restoration projects in all freshwater habitats.
4 Improve knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the freshwater environment
Engage with local people and increase the catchment’s recognition in local planning frameworks.
The partnership
The River Thame Catchment Partnership seeks to protect and improve all freshwaters in the catchment, including the River Thame, tributaries, headwaters, floodplain, lakes, ponds and ditches. All these different habitats are important for freshwater wildlife due to the variety in habitat they offer and the network they created across the landscape.
The partnership is an informal grouping of organisations and individuals working to protect and improve the freshwater environment in the River Thame catchment. The catchment hosts are Freshwater Habitats Trust and River Thame Conservation Trust.
The partnership also includes:
- Upper Thames Fisheries Consultative
- Local community groups and local residents including: Cuttle Brook Volunteers, Watlington Environment Group, Doug Kennedy, Nick Marriner.
Our work in the River Thame Catchment
Discover more about the practical work we’re carrying out through the River Thame Catchment Partnership.
Manor Farm wetland creation
We’ve created wetland mosaic habitat to increase freshwater biodiversity on a farm in Buckinghamshire.
Waddesdon Wetland Creation
Freshwater plants and animals are benefiting from a two-hectare wetland creation project on the floodplain of the River Thame.
GroWet
Volunteers are helping us to restore Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire’s freshwater habitats – by growing rare plants at home.