About River Sid Catchment Group

The River Sid Catchment Group (RSCG) was established in 2023 by a group of volunteers resident in the Sid Valley. It is the vision of the catchment group to elevate this river to excellent ecological health.

The River Sid is a small river in the South West flowing into Lyme Bay. The catchment is within the East Devon National Landscape. The main built-up areas are the popular seaside resort of Sidmouth and Sidbury Village. Farms, hotels, B&Bs and homes are scattered up the valleys.

In the past our land used to be managed differently. For example, we made use of eroded soil enriched by sheep grazing on the higher land to fertilise the water meadows below, and fast-flowing streams helped run fulling mills for cleaning woollen cloth. As times change, and especially with the increase of climate change, a reassessment of our rivers is necessary.

The river has often been described in superlatives; however it has some significant weaknesses.

To understand where we are in terms of the amount of biodiversity in the valley, baselines would be valuable. There are various records locally and nationally that we have used, and these are referenced in the appendices. Due to the steady decline in wildlife, a baseline set at one date can differ from another. The group aims to monitor wildlife populations to clearly understand the present position and changes in the short term.

This is a community led catchment plan based on extensive public consultation,

We aim to:

• Improve the ecological health, diversity and resilience within the catchment;

• Restore access for sea trout, salmon and eels to live and breed in the Sid;

• Mitigate the impact of climate change on flooding, peak flow and biodiversity loss;

• Foster in the community an appreciation and respect of our river system.