Abstraction – the act of pumping or removing water from the groundwater or a river
Aquifer – underground, permeable rock which can act as a store of water
Canalising – converting a river into a canal-like waterway, usually by installing artificial banks and/or bed and straightening the channel
Dredging – scooping or digging out of the river bed to deepen the channel
Groundwater – Underground water, held in saturated rock or soil
Invasive non-native species – animals or plants found outside their natural distribution, and which cause harm to the environment, people and/or the economy
Macrophytes – a non-microscopic aquatic plant growing in or near water
Meander – a bend in a river. Meanders add variety to a river’s flow, and can promote erosion and deposition of sediment
Morphology – the form and structure of the river channel, e.g. the straightness or depth of the channel
pH – a measure of how acidic a liquid is. pH 7 is neutral - below this, the lower the pH value, the more acidic it is; the higher the pH, the more alkaline it is.
Physical modifications – alterations which people have made to the form of the river. They include weirs, and straightening, widening, deepening, canalising or dredging the channel
Phytobenthos – Microscopic plants that live attached to the river bed, or to rocks, stones or large plants within the river channel
Pollution – contaminants which affect the river’s water quality. Examples would be from herbicides, pesticides, organic and artificial fertiliser, sediment, sewage or heavy metals.
Riffle – a stretch of relatively shallow, fast-flowing water
Winterbourne – a stream which flows only after prolonged heavy rainfall leading to high groundwater levels, usually in the winter months
The Lea Catchment Partnerships are committed to protecting your information when you contact us, suggest a project, volunteer, attend an event, or support one of our projects.
This policy explains how we use any personal information we collect about you when you use our website or get in touch with us. If you have any questions please call and we will be happy to help.
What information do we collect about you?
We may collect information about you when you take part in an event, volunteer, make a general enquiry or sign up to one of our Twitter accounts. We may also collect information when you provide feedback or reviews, fill in any questionnaires, complete an online form or send us enquiries. This may cover anything from your contact details, or your responses to questionnaires we've sent you and feedback you've provided.
We also collect information about your use of our websites, and how you arrived at our website in the first place. This can include what links you've viewed or clicked on to reach us, or any search terms you've used. We can also see which pages of our website have been viewed by you and for how long. All this information helps to tell us what content is popular so we can prioritise it.
Online, we mostly use cookies to collect this information about you.
How will we use this information about you?
We collect information about you to process your enquiry, to let you know about our events, projects, opportunities to get involved or anything else that we think may be of interest to you.
Will you pass my information on to other companies?
If we cannot deal directly with an enquiry we may pass your details on to someone who is better able to help you. The only other times we will pass your details to anyone else would be where we have to for fraud or other legal purposes. We do not pass your details (email, address, telephone, IP address, cookie details etc.) to any third parties for marketing purposes.
Marketing
We may like to send you information about our events, updates and campaigns that we think may be of interest to you. If you would like to be removed from this database you can contact us at any time.
Access to your information and correction
If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information we hold about you, please write to Lea Catchment Partnerships, c/o Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Grebe House, St Michaels Street, St Albans, Herts, AL3 4SN.
We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. Please always let us know if you think it is not.
Other websites
Our websites contain links to the websites of other organisations. This privacy policy only applies to our websites so when you link to other websites you should read their own privacy polices and terms and conditions. We cannot accept any responsibility for your use of these websites.
What if I’m aged 16 or under?
If this applies to you, please get permission from a parent/guardian before you supply us with any personal information.
Changes to our privacy policy
We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we will place any updates on this webpage. If there is a material change which could have a detrimental effect on you and we have your contact details, we will contact you to check whether you are happy with it.
How to contact us
If you would like further information on how your information is used, how we maintain the security of your information and your rights to access information we hold on you, please contact us:
by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.(Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust) or by writing to us at: Lea Catchment Partnerships, c/o Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Grebe House, St Michaels Street, St Albans, Herts, AL3 4SN.