Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust…
….Protecting & Enhancing Your Local Water Environment
Our Work
We are a registered charity working to protect, restore and enhance the rivers, streams, estuaries and lakes within the catchment. Our roots are in the local area and we work closely with communities, business and partner organisations to educate and inform as well as deliver projects focused on improving the environment for both wildlife and people. Take a more in-depth look at the work we do and the projects we deliver
Get Involved
Find out more about how you can support the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust. Whether you fancy joining our regular practical Task Force or helping in our citizen science water quality monitoring, assisting with events or walking the river to monitor sea trout there really is something for everyone. Or why not become a member of the Trust and support our work and projects whilst receiving regular newsletters and information on our activities.
Know Your River
Our catchment covers parts of East & West Sussex, incorporating a diverse range of rivers, streams, brooks and lakes which flow through over 2,000 landholdings and both urban and rural environments. Despite their proximity, the two river corridors are different in character although the primary issues and concerns remain the same. So find out more about your rivers or why not get involved with our work.
We’ve built a new River!
In 2016 we started work on a flagship project, daylighting a 1km section of the Broadwater Brook in Worthing and installing measures to remove urban pollutants. Finished in 2021 this project involved over 1,700 members of the local community and has seen significant improvements to water quality and a 97% increase in the sites biodiversity. Find out more by clicking on the logo.
Delivering Diverse Projects
Preventing Plastic Pollution
We are working in partnership with Strandliners to understand the volume and sources of plastics in our rivers, working with local communities to undertake river surveys, removing plastic and identifying the type and brand. With ten locations split across the two rivers we are forming community action groups to continue monitoring plastic pollution and build an evidence base we can use to reduce (or eliminate) plastic in our waterways. Part of the EU Interreg funded Preventing Plastic Pollution project this is part of a coordinated approach across the UK and France to improve the freshwater and marine environments.
Defra Test & Trials
The River Adur Test & Trial (T&T) project is exploring how income can be assembled from multiple sources for restoring intertidal habitat, aiming to build clear financial models for landowners. The intertidal section of the River Adur represents a significant opportunity for landscape scale restoration of saltmarsh, mudflat, and wetland habitat. Led by Adur District Council the project is focussed on two pilot sites, New Salts Farm and Pad Farm, to understand the required financial mechanisms and existing opportunities for restoration of intertidal habitats. Input to blended finance models, developed by Finance Earth, was gathered by engaging with local farmer cluster groups in Sussex.
Natural Flood Management
Working with nature to slow and store water as it moves through the catchment, Natural Flood Management is a core area of our work. Over the past few years we have delivered floodplain woodland and leaky dams, re-meandered sections of channel and created storage ponds and delivered surface water management schemes such as rain gardens and rainbox planters. Delivering a wide range of interventions across the landscape adds up to provide the benefits we are seeking and provides hydrological benefits during both flooding and drought.
We are delighted to have started a catchment scale project on the River Adur. In partnership with the Environment Agency and supported by a wide range of stakeholders we will be working across the network of waterways to develop and deliver projects which reduce peak flows, protect homes and improve the hydrology and ecology of the river system. Find out more about our Natural Flood Management work in Hassocks and through the Lewes District by clicking here
Latest news
Ringmer Wetlands Complete
Reducing the impact of flooding through the creation of an urban wetland which holds 560,000 litres of water. We are delighted to introduce Ringmer Wetlands to our range of natural flood management projects being delivered in partnership with Lewes District Council. Find out more about this project and our range of NFM work here
Focus on Drought
We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation to deliver a two-year pilot on drought resilience for rivers and agriculture. Focused on the Longford Stream and Bevern Stream (River Ouse) this project will start in early 2023 and will seek ways to make the landscape more resilient to climate change.
Tackling Non-Native Species
In partnership with South East Water, South Downs National Park, Environment Agency and University of Brighton, OART is excited to have produced a comprehensive strategy for the control of non-native species on the River Ouse. With 87 species currently invading the river we are looking forward to tackling these with funding being awarded for five years from April 2023.
Keeping Rivers Healthy
Water is essential to all aspects of life, from eating and drinking to recreation and wildlife you can’t deny that rivers are a part of our lives as well as our landscape. We work to ensure these natural assets are looked after today and for future generations. Help us to protect your rivers.
£25
funds a suite of water testing in our laboratory
£75
funds 5m of gravel spawning beds for fish
£250
funds a school visit to engage children with nature
The Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust
OART is a membership based organisation dedicated to the environmental protection and enhancement of the Sussex River Ouse and Adur including their tributaries, estuaries and still waters.
Contact us at info@oart.org.uk
The Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust (OART) is a registered charity (No: 1082447) formed in 2011 from the amalgamation of two long-standing local organisations, the River Adur Conservation Society and Sussex Ouse Conservation Society.