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Portsmouth Water grants now open! Applications are now open for the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme and the Capital Grant Scheme. These grants are open to farmers within our sensitive catchment areas to tackle rising nitrate levels affecting groundwater abstracted for public water supply and excessive nutrient loading into surface and coastal waters. Our schemes assist farmers (and other land managers) to deliver measures that aim to reduce nitrate leaching and im

The NiCCs (Nitrogen release from Cover Crops) trials was a collaborative research project delivered by ADAS and funded by Portsmouth Water and Affinity Water. The trials explored how different cover crop mixes and destruction methods influence nitrogen retention in soils, nitrate leaching, and the availability of nutrients for subsequent crops. This poster brings together key findings from across the NiCCs trials, highlighting how over-winter cover crops can play an important

This week is National Hedgerows Week – a chance to appreciate one of our most familiar, yet overlooked, features of the countryside. Hedges are far more than simple field boundaries or garden dividers. They are living, working landscapes that play a vital role in supporting wildlife, people and the environment. They are important for… Biodiversity – Providing food, shelter and travel corridors for many mammals, insects and birds. Climate and environmental resilience – Capture

Last week Sophie and Ellie from the catchment team began the 2026 groundwater catchment walkover programme… Every three years, we review the information we have for each of our 19 groundwater catchments. These catchments, or Source Protection Zones (SPZs), are the areas surrounding a groundwater abstraction where there is a risk that activities on this land could contaminate the underlying groundwater. Therefore, it is important for us to keep up to date records of the land u

Defra has announced the 2026 Capital Grants offer, providing £225 million. The scheme will open in July, with the full list of eligible items released in May alongside official guidance. The full article can be found on the link below, but we've highlighted the most important bits in this blog. Read Defra's announcement here: The 2026 Capital Grants offer – The Farming Blog What's included? The categories will follow the same structure as last years, covering: Boundaries, tre

Defra have shared their plans for the new SFI scheme. The new scheme aims to be simpler, with fewer actions and less complex. The changes focused on removing actions with low uptake and those that incentivised less food production as well as caps to help more farms benefit from the scheme. Below is a summary of the main points from the post: The new offer includes 71 actions, down from 102 in the SFI24 offer. Focused on removing actions with low uptake or those that delivered

DEFRA announced last week the new SFI offer for 2026! The new scheme will be simpler and more focused by reducing the number of actions and also having an emphasis to support sustainable food production . This includes limiting how much land can be put into actions that take land out of production and focussing on how actions can wok alongside food production. The first window of the scheme will open on June to select farmers and then to all farmers during the second window i

Last week we attended the SDFGs autumn meeting! We started with a great presentation from Cathy, our catchment officer on nitrate levels in Portsmouth Water's drinking water supply. She shared trend graphs and real data, explaining future projections and how we can work together to reduce levels. Next, Stephen Woodley updated us on the urea trials. Results are so far inconclusive, so we're planning new trials. If you are willing to host these trials on your farm we would lo

A couple weeks ago, Sophie and myself from the catchment team went to HedgeFest2025, hosted at Windmill Farm by the South Downs National Park. It was a beautiful day to be out and about with clear blue skies, thankfully Storm Benjamin decided to miss our part of England! The event was a great opportunity to learn more about the biodiversity and water quality benefits that come from having hedges on farms such as: Reduced pesticide usage as hedges attract birds and insects tha

We've created a new version of our farmers advice page that has a lot more resources and up to date information on how farmers can help...

It’s estimated that over 200 million plastic tree guards were used across the UK between 1980-2020 and many of these will be left to...

Last week Simon, Sophie and I from the catchment team attended a farm walkover of Rushmere Farm, a beautiful farm with lots of exciting...

The biodiversity grant scheme has been completed for the AMP7 period and we have delivered our target of awarding funding to...

In November 2023 Simon Deacon and James Bucknall attended Horsham Fire Training Centre to provide awareness training to West Sussex Fire...

Last week Simon, James, Sophie and Ellie from the catchment team headed up to Hertfordshire to attend the premier regenerative...

Last month we had the opportunity to attend Solent Primary Schools STEM Fair. James and Ellie from the catchment team, along with other...