LTLS Freshwater Ecosystems ("LTLS-FE"): Analysis and future scenarios of Long-Term and Large-Scale freshwater quality and impacts

Lead Research Organisation: UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY
Department Name: Hydro-climate Risks

Abstract

Long Term Large Scale - Freshwater Ecosystems (LTLS-FE):

Rivers in the United Kingdom have in the past and the present been subjected to a range of pressures due to the release of chemicals and by-products, such as domestic wastewater, acid rain, the application of nutrients and pesticides to soils, and the use of domestic products such as medicines. While some of these pressures (e.g. acid rain, wastewater discharges) appear to have eased over recent decades, others (e.g. pesticides, nutrients) remain and may be increasing. In addition to these pressures, climate change is also expected to impact on the quality of UK rivers, for example by leading to changes in anthropogenic chemical use, by changing the amount of water in rivers and thus how much water is available to dilute chemicals, by making storms and floods more or less frequent, and by changing the volume of chemicals washed into rivers from the land. Climate change could also influence freshwater biodiversity, for example by increasing the exposure of organisms to pulses of toxic chemicals during storms or by increasing the likelihood that UK rivers are invaded by alien species which outcompete native species.

The quality and health of UK rivers are of great interest to many groups - the general public who rely on waters for recreation such as swimming and angling, to the regulators who are tasked with improving and then maintaining water quality, and to water companies who partly rely on rivers for drinking water supplies. It is therefore important that we try to understand as well as possible how water quality and health might be affected by future changes in the way society uses chemicals and water, and how these might be further affected by climate change.

This is a complex problem, because the factors that drive river quality are many and they will vary over time and from place to place. This project will tackle the problem by developing a model that will use these drivers to predict how chemical inputs, river quality and river health will change in the context of different 'pathways', or scenarios of change in society and climate. By doing this, we will provide a range of 'projections' of future river quality and health. These projections will help scientists and policymakers to understand the main factors controlling river quality and health. This will help them to develop solutions to manage and ameliorate possible changes in the factors that influence river quality and health, with the goal of maintaining and improving the state of UK rivers in a changing world.

As well as our projections of possible futures for UK river quality and health, we will make the data and model code available to all at the end of the project. This will provide other researchers with possibilities such as changing the mathematics of the model, adding new chemicals as they emerge, or applying the model to other countries and parts of the world.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Title Chemical Prioritisation List 
Description List of chemicals identified to be bad to the environment, both water and ecology. Prioritised for inclusion in LTLS-FE model. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Identified to be chemicals of importance/significance for policy makers/industry at present. Will be used in LTLS-FE modelling. 
URL https://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2023-08/Final%20LTLS-FE%20Chemicals%20List_0.pdf
 
Description ERCITE final science meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This meeting was to present and discuss the final outcomes of the ERCITE NERC Theme on ecological impacts of chemicals. PIs from the FWQ Theme were specifically invited as results are relevant to FWQ theme.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Face-to -face project kick-off. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Attended an internal programme in person meeting to discuss projects across the FWQ project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Kick-off webinar hosted by the FWQ theme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Webinar to kick-off the freshwater quality programme to other PIs and stakeholders. LTLS-FE present project aims.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://water.leeds.ac.uk/fwq-programme/introductory-online-webinar-9-30am-12-30pm-tuesday-7-februar...
 
Description LTLS-FE Advisory Board meetings 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Meetings with LTLS-FE stakeholder advisory board. To report progress and allow for feedback and comments in order to guide the project in a direction that the outputs will have as much impact as possible. Occur bi-annually
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024
 
Description Meeting with Coal Authority RE datasets and involvement as a partner 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Meeting between CA, BGS and UKCEH facilitated by BGS. Discussed LTLS-FE, potential data sets of relevance to LTLS, how to request these and who to engage with in the CA to maximise partner involvement. Discussion of targeting work as a pilot study in the NE of England in the first instance to develop understanding of point and diffuse sources of MW impacts.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Meeting with NIEA, facilitated by GSNI to introduce LTLS-FE and discuss possible data sets and their involvement as a partner 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Meeting with NIEA facilitated by GSNI to explore water quality and freshwater ecology data sets collected by DAERA-NI and also to discuss in detail any work/data/reports related to mine water discharge that they have. Discussed the process for a data request to DAERA-NI and how to go about doing this.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Programme Advisory Board 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Programme advisory board meetings where progress is reported, and advisory board can ask questions, identify areas that need more thinking/redirect energy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024
 
Description Scenario Co-development Workshops 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 2 workshops to co-develop the climate and societal scenarios being used in LTLS-FE.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023