Diffuse pollution is now recognised as a major factor affecting the quality of our rivers. The suspended sediments that get into a water course after rain carry with them high levels of phosphates, and sometimes pesticides. The sediments get into the gravels of the river bed and clog them up reducing the biodiversity of invertebrates and the breeding success of many fish species. The phosphates carried on the silt over fertilise the river and increase the growth of algae smothering more beneficial water plants and the animals that depend on them.  Excessive algal growth also has implications for the cost of treating our drinking water.

The Welland Rivers Trust has joined forces with the Environment Agency and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to enable volunteers to carry out a survey of the Welland to identify areas where sediments are being washed into the river during periods of heavy rain. A training day was organised by the EA at GWCT’s  farm at Loddington  in the Eye Brook catchment near Uppingham where research is being carried out into this issue and what to do about it. There was a good turn out of volunteers plus post graduate students from Leicester University to walk the farm in perfect weather, pouring rain after a night of heavy rain! Many of the volunteers had first attended WRT’s public consultations, expressed a desire to help and good to their word turned up to brave the elements. 

 

Chris Stoate from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust showed us small streams and ditches on the farm now swollen with very coloured water and pointed out some of the sources of the sediments. Tractor tracks on arable fields, livestock trampling the edges of streams and farm tracks were some of the examples of possible sources of silt and diffuse pollution that we saw but the most spectacular was the effects of land drains entering a ditch. Relatively clear water flowing down a ditch was suddenly turned opaque and ochre colour where a land drain discharged. 

The purpose of the project is to train volunteers to survey the river and its tributaries and streams to identify sources of diffuse pollution and help farmers put farming techniques in place to reduce the sediment load of the river catchment.  

So if you’re stuck for something to do on a wet Sunday, send us your details by filling in our Volunteer form and one of our local members will be in touch.

To see more pictures from the Training Day, visit the Photo Gallery by clicking here