The levels of waterway pollution are due primarily to the diffuse pollution from agriculture, point source pollution incidents and phosphates from sewage treatment works. We are working with the Environment Agency to reduce pollution in the Lugg and Yazor catchments - where we have ongoing projects.

We are doing this by:

• Working with farms within the Lugg Valley to produce advisory reports on ways to reduce diffuse pollution entering the river, for example techniques to reduce soil run off, buffer strips to catch sediment before it enters the river, improved spraying filling areas so chemicals don’t enter the river, improved muck storage etc.
• Sitting on the board of Herefordshire Council's Nutrient Management Plan Committee, where we formally contribute towards plans to reduce pollution
• Working with the Wye and Usk Foundation on production of constructed wetlands, which naturally filter water to reduce levels of phosphate from sewage treatment entering watercourses.
• We lobby our MPs on this and other issues.
• We are looking at ways to establish a phosphate credit scheme that will lock up phosphates on land.
• We deliberately work in partnership with other organisations to avoid duplicating effort, hence Herefordshire Wildlife Trust currently concentrates its work in the Lugg and the lower Yazor catchments while the Wye Valley AONB work on the Garren and Gamber and the Wye & Usk Foundation work on upper Yazor and a number of other catchments.