For our June meeting Andy Went came to tell us about the work of the Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust. Andy is the Natural Rivers Manager and he was keen to talk about the work he and an army of volunteers take on to manage and maintain our rivers.
The Trust was formed in 2013 and the majority of the volunteers come from consultancy businesses. There are 63 partner trusts covering the United Kingdom and Ireland. There are 114 waterbodies whose task is to conserve, protect and improve rivers and waterbodies. There are three main aims: to restore natural river process, physical river protection and protecting rivers from pollution. Volunteers help in improving riparian habitat, managing run-off and tree planting.
The Trust looks at natural flood management, a local example being the introduction of beavers at Spains Hall which has vastly improved flooding at Finchingfield. Volunteers also regularly take part in river and beach cleans, river enhancement schemes and invasive species control.
East Anglia has been considered a “dry” area in the past but recent weather has turned much wetter! We still need to mange water resources. Currently 0% of our rivers pass “good” chemical health which is a worrying fact. There has also been an 83% decline in freshwater species globally. Problems such as “forever chemicals”, raw sewage and the quality of bathing water need to be addressed. We all felt this was a timely and informative evening which tied in with the current WI Resolution concerning “Clean Water for All”.