Staffordshire Trent Valley
The Staffordshire Trent Valley management catchment extends from the northern edge of Stoke‑on‑Trent down to the areas surrounding Lichfield and Wolverhampton in the south, covering a diverse mix of urban and rural landscapes. It includes major urban centres such as Stoke‑on‑Trent and Newcastle‑under‑Lyme, as well as farmland, woodland and more sparsely populated countryside. The catchment encompasses the River Trent and its tributaries from their headwaters north of Stoke‑on‑Trent to the confluence with the River Tame near Alrewas. The Trent and Mersey Canal runs along much of the river’s course, briefly connecting directly with the Trent at Alrewas, while other historic canal routes, including the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal and the Shropshire Union Canal, cross the landscape.
The catchment is shaped by a number of important natural and cultural assets. To the south lies Cannock Chase National Landscape (formerly AONB), while the eastern edge forms part of the National Forest, a major woodland restoration initiative combining ancient woodland with new planting. The River Swarbourn flows through the National Forest before meeting the Trent at Wychnor. Further downstream, the river is impounded at Blithfield Reservoir. Across the lower catchment, urban areas sit alongside arable and pastoral farmland. Overall, the area numerous waterbodies, supported by a rich ecological network including SSSIs, SACs and a Ramsar site.
Please note the correct WFD management catchment name for this catchment is ‘Trent Valley Staffordshire’, we are referring to it as the Staffordshire Trent Valley as this is how it is commonly referred to and this is the name used for the catchment by the Environment Agency.
We need your help!
Your involvement is crucial as we work together to better understand the Staffordshire Trent Valley We will be conducting a workshop on 3 June 2026 at Barlaston Village Hall, Barlaston, ST12 9AA. We hope you can attend and bring your local knowledge, practical experience, and on‑the‑ground perspective that we simply can’t capture through data alone. Together we hope we can build an accurate picture of the catchment, help identify viable water resource options, highlight potential opportunities to improve in-river ecology and shape partnership projects that genuinely reflect local priorities. Your input ensures that the plans we develop are realistic, collaborative, and capable of delivering real improvements for the water environment. Ultimately, by working closely with us now, you’ll be helping to secure healthier rivers, more resilient catchments, and better outcomes for the communities and sectors that depend on them.
Book your workshop place
What are our objectives and investigations?
Understand what river flow targets and changes to water abstraction may be needed to support a healthy water environment in the Staffordshire Trent Valley.
Check how well the Environment Agency’s national modelling reflects local conditions. You can view their modelling in the Modelled Abstraction Reductions – National Framework for Water Resources 2025.
Compare the national modelling with improved local data to make sure we’re getting an accurate picture of the catchment and its needs.
Explore options to improve and protect river flows, including reducing our own abstractions where necessary. We’ll also look for opportunities to work with local partners and develop Nature‑Based Solutions (NBS) that strengthen the catchment’s resilience.
Use the evidence gathered to build confidence in any future abstraction changes, helping us prioritise actions and plan a realistic timeline for making improvements.
Feed into the development of our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP), which outlines how we will meet long‑term challenges such as population growth, drought, environmental pressures and climate change, while ensuring a reliable water supply. The plan is being developed alongside the Water Resources West Regional Plan, which sets out how all abstractors in the region will work together to secure water supplies over the next 60 years. The first plan was published in June 2025 and is available here: Water Resources West Final Regional Plan — Water Resources West.
So who abstracts water and how much?
In this catchment 87Ml/d of groundwater is licenced for abstraction for Public Water Supply by Severn Trent Water. South Staffordshire Water also have a number of surface water and groundwater abstractions in this catchment.
The data below is taken from the Environment Agency’s Modelled Abstraction Reductions - National Framework for Water Resources 2025 and show the proportions of surface water and groundwater abstraction by sector in the whole of the catchment.
What have we done so far and what have we got planned for this investigation?
We are working to a deadline of 31 December 2026 to deliver the first phase of Environmental Destination investigations. By this date we will have developed abstraction reduction scenarios, compiled a high-level list of potential options which enable the proposed reductions or support the ecological needs of the catchment and we will deliver a narrative of how we have come to our decisions.
During 2025:
WRW water companies have been working together and with regulators to agree the scope and methods for these investigations.
We have been analysing data and previous investigations to develop an understanding of the catchments and understand current flow pressures and impacts on ecology.
During 2026:
We will be holding engagement sessions to talk to other abstractors, water users and stakeholders to develop our understanding of the catchment and pressures on water. We will be looking for opportunities to get involved in existing projects and work with you to develop new opportunities to improve water resources and low flow conditions in the catchment. Once confirmed the sessions will be listed here along with a booking form. In the meantime, you can register your interest by providing your contact details below.
We will be undertaking modelling work to enhance the understanding of the catchment, look forwards at the potential impacts under one or more climate change scenarios. Along with information collated from stakeholders we will assess the EAs national framework reduction numbers to identify what reductions may be needed in the future to public water supply abstractions.
We will begin to prioritise the actions that are needed and develop an approach through the WRMP and regional plan to address these.
Can’t join us at the workshop? We would still like to hear from you
Please complete the contact form below, letting us know things like: Do you want to partner with Nature Based Solutions? Are you already working on something in your area? Do you have any evidence of the catchment that you would like to share? Can you let us know the grid reference of the location you are referring to? What is your interest in the catchment? Do you have any thoughts you would like to share on our investigations?
If you would like to know a bit more about the data we are using for these investigations, below are the data sources we have used:
EA catchment data explorer: England | Catchment Data Explorer
Provides data used by EA in River Basin Management Plans
EA Environmental Destination Catchment Summaries: Catchment Summaries | Environmental Destination - Get involved! | Engage Environment Agency
Information to help understand the water resources challenge in local catchments
Modelled Abstraction Reductions - National Framework for Water Resources 2025: Modelled Abstraction Reductions - National Framework for Water Resources 2025
A spreadsheet showing a range of potential reductions to abstraction licence quantities which may be needed to meet environmental flow requirements