SOME of Cumbria’s ailing lakes and rivers have had a £103,000 cash boost to help beat pollution.

The River Irt, the Lower Eden, River Derwent, Esthwaite Water, and the Kent and Leven estuaries won grants from United Utilities’ Catchment Wise intervention fund.

Across the North West, the water company dished out almost £500,000 – but received applications for more than two-and-a-half times the value of the money available.

South Cumbria Rivers Trust, based near Ulverston, was the biggest winner after being awarded £60,000 for a major project to tackle the causes of excess sediment and nutrient in Esthwaite Water and improve fish habitat in Cunsey Beck, which flows from it.

Mike Sturt, the trust’s Technical Officer, said: “This is a legacy project, following on from Windermere Reflections, and will be going on for 12 months.”

Eden Rivers Trust, based in Penrith, was awarded £13,340 to help communities in the Lower Eden valley pinpoint and tackle the causes of poor water quality and improve habitats for fish.

And West Cumbria Rivers Trust, based near Keswick, received £29,750 for two separate projects.

The biggest at £20,000 is to stop erosion and improve habitats for fish in the River Derwent and its tributaries, near Keswick.

The remaining £9,750 will be spent on a 12 month project identifying the sources of pollution in the River Irt, between Wastwater and Ravenglass.

In addition, the Morecambe Bay Partnership got £40,000 to raise awareness of issues which can affect bathing waters, particularly in sout Cumbria and north Lancashire.

United Utilities manager Paul Henbrey said: ““It’s been an amazing response. Charities and communities are working hard to clean up the brooks, streams, lakes and rivers they love. This money will get them started. Plus, they get our expert advice.”

“Charities and communities are working hard to clean up the brooks, streams, lakes and rivers they love. This money will get them started.

“They might look lovely, but only just over a quarter of England’s water bodies are classed as ‘good’ or better when it comes to water quality.

“We spend millions on our sewers, but there is only so much we can do alone.

“Other sources of pollution outside our control are becoming more and more important.

“Catchment Wise cash gives vital projects access to much-needed funds.”

Environment Agency programme manager Jim Ratcliffe said he was delighted by the funding boost for catchment partnerships in the North West, that were set up with seed funding from Defra last year.

“It means that communities can deliver improvements that really benefit their local environment,” he said.

Nancy Corbin, Turning Tides and LOVEmyBEACH campaigns manager, said the grants were fantastic news for bathing water quality too, as some coastal pollution starts inland and is carried by rivers.