LOCAR
Programme background
The Lowland Catchment Research programme (LOCAR) provided the detailed, interdisciplinary hydro-ecological research we need to manage permeable lowland catchments, now and in the future.
The programme investigated how water enters, is stored within, and is discharged from rivers in three groundwater-dominated catchments, the Frome/Piddle in Dorset, the Pang/Lambourn in Berkshire and the Tern in Shropshire. Researchers also investigated how fine sediments and chemicals (including fertiliser residues) move, and their effects on in-stream, riparian and wetland habitats within these catchments.
The programme invested £5 million in installing and running field research facilities in the three contrasting permeable lowland catchments. These 'flagship' sites will provide the basis for long-term monitoring, needed to define natural variability and responses to environmental change. The funding for these facilities came from a £2m Joint Infrastructure Fund grant to a consortium of universities and institutes, and from the programme's own funds. The programme distributed over £3m in research grants and studentships.
About the programme
- LOCAR home
- Background
- Aims and objectives
- Awards, facts and figures
- Reports and key findings
- Management
- Resources
- Contacts
External links