Rivers, Rhynes and Running Brooks

Rivers and Local Distinctiveness

Local Distinctiveness and Rivers

Rivers and streams vary from place to place mainly because of the variations in geology, topography and climate. Over millennia nature and culture together have amplified diversity ­ watermeadows with high water tables may support lapwing, snipe, watervole, grass snake, yellow flags; rhynes and dykes have drained levels and fens; weirs and pools are attractive to locally abundant plants and invertebrates. Warehouses, mills and bridges reflect differences of geology and divergent local building styles.

In our efforts to bring riverside land in towns back into public use we should seek to enhance particularity and discourage the ubiquitous film-set bollards and cobbles, Sensitive new ideas are needed to add to local identity.

Wider issues need attention. Pollution and eutrophication caused by run-off of farmland chemicals are reducing the rich mix of river life. Over-abstraction by water companies has resulted in such low flows in some valleys that streams have dried up altogether. Development on the flood plain causes problems downstream and reduces access.

The canalisation of rivers in country and city, the culverting of streams in suburbia and the intensive use of riparian fields has ironed out the richness of detail and denied us the enchantment of close relations with running water.

The Importance of River Catchments

It is important to see your stretch of water as a part of the whole catchment ­ the area of land drained by the river and its tributaries ­ because if you touch one part it will have repercussions on the rest. For example, the number of trees growing in the upper reaches of the catchment will affect how much water finds its way downstream. The way riparian fields are farmed will change the amount of water which is stored in the floodplain, and the amount of silt, fertilisers and pesticides which enter the river. Building over the floodplain will cause increased inundation lower down.

 What You Can Do

Rivers and streams are amongst our most valuable assets, yet some streams do not even appear to have names. As a way of getting to know more about them, you could try some of the following, either on your own, but better still, with a new group, a neighbourhood society or Parish Council.

1. Make a Parish Water Map ­ map all the watery features from wide rivers to the smallest streams, springs, wells, troughs, sheep washes and find out the names of the stretches of river, the pools, islands, bridges, riparian fields.

2. Devise new walks around them. Talk with landholders and the local council, ask the Footpaths Officer for help.

3. Try to negotiate more access to streams and rivers. Small picnic areas or footpaths along one bank will minimise disturbance to wild life.

4. Make comments on new riverside designs, look after local history and demand the best (not the most conservative) of the new.

5. Suggest to your Parish Council that they draw up their own Water Strategies with surveys of present practice/use, and targets for reduced consumption.

6. Use less water: research washing machines, lavatories, showers, taps etc and write up a briefing sheet for the Parish/locality. Use a water butt to catch rainwater for watering garden plants and cleaning the car. Investigate grey water systems for recycling water to flush the loo/use in the garden. Create a neighbourhood water saving scheme.

7. Make a map of the whole catchment of your river system to help identify the area where your water should come from. Raise questions with your water company.

8. Try persuading everyone that our aspiration should be for all rivers and brooks to be attractive and clean enough to swim in, then we should have conquered many problems.

Celebrate your Rivers

In the South West Common Ground worked on a project encouraging people to create music for a river, between 1998 and 2001. We hope it will give everyone ideas.

Among its successes, CONFLUENCE brought into existence: river carols written and sung by a new community choir; watery ballads performed in village hall, library and pub; the Fish Cabaret (teenage a capella group, school jazz band, a singing fishmonger); locally researched tales told along the river by a storyteller; music for a bridge played by a scratch group - the Cutwater Band. Our composer in residence on the River Stour, Karen Wimhurst, collected spoken histories literally to interweave with a new composition for wind instruments and an experimental piece mingling the sounds of a working mill with percussion and voice. A new trio - Watershed - performed their own music and that of first-time composers in the valley. We enjoyed a concert based on river bird song following a dawn chorus walk; wind players and percussionist worked with plumbers to create new musical instruments made from plumbing artefacts, for a challenging concert of new music, Pipeworks.

We have also launched a national project to encourage the names of brooks to be carved onto their bridges with the idea of getting local groups to search out elusive names, to take on the naming using an alphabet especially created for their valley, so every bridge within the catchment using this letterform lets you know which river basin you are in.

Fontmell Magna in Dorset has achieved the first as example with us, Richard Grasby has made the letterform and carved the words - Collyer's Brook <> Mill Bridge - onto a simple stone capped brick bridge at the heart of the village. Already two neighbouring parishes are keen to do the same and many more elsewhere.

Agencies responsible for the health and appearance of our rivers include:

Countryside Agency: conservation and enhancement of the diverse character of the landscape, promotion of social equity and economic opportunity, sustainable agriculture and recreational access.
English Heritage: designation of ancient monuments, listing of historic buildings including bridges, advising on building conservation.
English Nature: statutory adviser on nature conservation, notification of freshwater SSSIs, establishment of National Nature Reserves, advice to landholders, implementation of Species Recovery Programmes, research, education and awareness.
The Environment Agency: control of water pollution and abstraction, flood and coastal defence, conservation, conservation of fisheries, recreation and land drainage.
Internal Drainage Boards: management of water levels in 235 internal drainage districts, flood defence schemes.
Local Authorities: monitoring the quality of water supplies, development control on floodplains, conservation of listed mills, warehouses etc., bridges (listed and unlisted), riverine archaeology.
Regional Water Companies: provision of clean water and collection and treatment of sewage.

As well as enlisting the help of these agencies it is also necessary to make sure they fulfil their functions. Pressure from their 'customers' demonstrates a level of concern and helps them to argue the case for local distinctiveness, conservation and local involvement to those who control the purse strings.

Read more about rivers on the RIVER PATHWAY of www.england-in-particular.info
Buy our poetry anthology THE RIVER'S VOICE and our other RIVER AND WATER PUBLICATIONS AND PRODUCTS.

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