Action on waterways

WITH only five per cent of rivers in England and Wales described as being in a pristine condition, the Environment Agency (EA) is setting in motion management plans to improve the quality of waterways, including those in Sussex.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Oct 2010, 10:32 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:09 BST

The waterways are a valuable resource that supports a range of wildlife.

However, they face a variety of pressures, including run-off pollution from fertilisers and poorly designed urban drainage; invasive species like signal crayfish and American mink and low water levels caused by over abstraction.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Steve Gilbert, RSPB conservation programme manager, said: “There are many pressures on our waterways and the life they support.

“We have to do all we can to protect these vital wildlife habitats and ensure people can continue to enjoy them.”

River Basin management plans have been drawn up to tackle these issues and are now being put into action.

The South East River Basin District covers over 10,000 square kilometres, and includes West and East Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and eastern Kent. Ninety-nine water bodies – rivers, reservoirs and estuaries – have been prioritised for action between now and 2015.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A large proportion of the South East River Basin District is dominated by the rural landscape of the South Downs, but there are major urban centres at Brighton & Hove, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Sussex has a number of water bodies identified for improvement. Parts of the Rivers Arun, Adur and Cuckmere suffer from excessive levels of phosphates and diminished invertebrate numbers; part of the Ouse, Pevensey Haven and Hurst Haven suffer from diminished fish numbers.

The RSPB, along with other voluntary conservation bodies, is urging EA to implement the programme urgently.

Related topics:Environment AgencyEast SussexEnglandWalesRSPBAmerican