Whilst continuing to support riparian owners and river keepers with the day to day issues of river management, attending catchment meetings and liaison with the authorities, 2024 has been a period of considerable change as we pivot towards becoming a more vocal campaigning organisation. We cannot claim credit on our own, but we have provided the drive behind a lot of things in the catchment.
Some of the highlights are:
On Sewage Pollution: With the help of others such as the Hampshire River Keepers Association, we have been at the forefront of raising the voice about sewage in the rivers in our catchment. We stopped the Southern Water over pumping operations at Chilbolton and Longparish. We, with the Angling Trust, and Activist Anglers coordinated the Fullerton Protest and supported the Newbury Protest. During this period we received national and local media coverage.
On Chemical Pollution: The published research we helped fund into the levels of chemical contaminants in the Rivers Test and Itchen has helped raise the profile of this underlying scourge of our rivers, both locally and at national levels.
On General Water Quality: In 2023 we set up, alongside Watercress and Winterbournes, the Water Quality Monitoring Network, the initial aim of which is to create a baseline of two years data. We continue to fund 12 Smart Rivers sites on the Test and Itchen. We are actively engaged with the organisers of the newly created Pan Parish River Pollution Forum set up to support concerned parish and town councils in the catchment.
On Habitat: We provided much of the source material and hosted the Unearthed journalist Emma Howard who ran a major story on Natural England’s inability to stay on top of habitat condition reports.
On Salmon: We are now a member of the AT Salmon and Sea Advisory Group (SSAG) and also sit on the Itchen Salmon Delivery Plan Working Group led by the EA. Whilst these groups are struggling to have any impact on the decline, much of which is happening at sea, we are pushing hard for all possible action in the rivers to prevent the extinction of these unique creatures. Behind the scenes there is a potential new partnership being lined up to help drive that action to save this iconic species.
On the Stocking Debate: We remain engaged with the EA and are pressing them for more science to inform the debate and helping inform their approach to future trials.
On Beavers: The debate on the effects of beavers on chalk streams and salmonids has been revived by The Wildlife Trust, who have started lobbying for unhindered widespread introduction and protection of Beavers. We are now on the inaugural Hampshire Beaver Advisory Group meeting in November and will be alive to the threats to rivers.
On Water Quantity: We sit on the Southern Water, Water for Life Engagement Board and are lobbying hard for the benefits of the Havant Thicket Water Recycling Scheme which will lead to big reductions in abstraction.
Southern Water Dialogue: The effect of this campaigning has resulted in a renewed and empowered relationship with Southern Water. We have had two community meetings with them at CEO and Board Member level involving Angling Trust, Hampshire River Keepers Association, Wild Fish, Wessex Rivers Trust and Activist Anglers. The result is that SW regularly engage with this grouping on a range of issues on the rivers, including the sharing of data from their waste water plants and input into the placement of permanent chemical monitors close to waste water treatment work outflows. The Association is the nominated lead for coordinating this work.
Council Local Development Plans: There has been a round of new Local Plans outlining the ambition to build well over 65 000 houses in the catchment. We have been robust in commenting on all these plans; local authorities must ensure that sufficient water and waste services are in place before housing pressures cause more harm to our rivers.
On Commercial Sponsorship: We have secured our first commercial member of the Association. Four local Fuller’s pubs will be joining us and they will be offering discounted accommodation for bookings through our website.
Internal Changes to The Association: We are modernising the association’s digital offering and ways of working so that we free up staff from administration to do more campaigning, practical advice to members and take a greater role in Catchment Management. To date we have:
- Updated the look and feel of the Association website and enabled user self-service. We have added more content and there is more coming.
- Introduced a bulk email facility that will allow easier and quicker communications with members.
- Introduced a customer relationship management database that allows more accurate control of our membership.