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Alton walking festival on Caker Stream by June Chatfield Over the weekend of 10-11 May 2014 Alton Town Council organised a festival of Water had dropped in the The marsh behind the walking with a range of short to Caker of last winter but recycling centre had low water long walks and we were asked evidence of flooding was but its fringe was bright with also for a short river walk which I from the grey film of silt spring flowers - red campion, led on the afternoon of Sunday deposited on the ivy th water forget-me-not, garlic 11 May which was well leaves of the far bank and mustard (food plant of attended. As the Wey at grassy debris attached to caterpillars of the orange tip Holybourne was still closed due low hanging branches of butterfly) and green alkanet. to sewage pollution, we settled riverside trees. on the Caker Stream. It was a repeat of a joint NWT and Alton Natural History Society walk run last year and reported in the last newsletter (No. 41). Being earlier in the year it was overcast and not so warm, but the keen group ignored that: most of them had never walked that stretch of the river before and were pleasantly surprised. Alton walking festival on the Caker Stream. Photo: J Chatfield 16 Alton walking festival on Caker Stream by June Chatfield …………… Continued Along the Caker we saw one point of concern was the pile of wood and soil against the remains of an old hatch the fence high above the Caker from earlier water meadow use Stream bank on land owned by Editors Note : The 2015 of the stream and the brick the sewage works, poised to Walking Festival is bridge carrying a former farm drop into the Caker Stream – currently being organised track (now Hangers Way Walk) by Alton Town Council and they need to move it back! It is over the stream. The walk will be held on important for site owners / ended with some pond-dipping occupiers to view their sites 16/17th May in the balancing pond that had from outside when doing health been dug as part of flood with a variety of themed and safety risk assessments. walks to suit all tastes and protection when Omega Park This is where people walking styles. More news when was developed. The Trust had along and enjoying the river the next newsletter comes been consulted in this and can be useful eyes on potential out. worked with the Environment hazards. Agency on recommendations to protect the stream. However June Chatfield Pond-dipping in the balancing pond, Omega Park. Photo: J Chatfield 17 Flood Meadows Management by The Alton Society Alec Baker On the third Sunday of every month, a group of local volunteers meet at Flood meadows with Team leader Martin Gibbs of the Alton Society to maintain the river, the surrounding banks and the adjacent footpaths. One task in September was the removal of the Wild Watercress in the river bed. With the help of the local Scout group, all the pulled vegetation was laid in a heap on the far side of the river and left to naturally decompose as compost. On the following Sunday get together it was Replacement of the existing bridge Photo: A. Baker agreed that one of the foot bridges was in need in of repair. Alton Town Council, who are land owners of Flood along Flood Meadows, no experience is Meadows, were approached by Martin necessary. Martin Gibbs can be contacted Gibbs and duly provided the materials for on [email protected] the work. The group meet on the third Sunday of Work commenced to dismantle the rotten every month from 10 am until midday. All timbers and directions were given to volunteers are rewarded with free biscuits, construct a newly designed bridge. Such tea and coffee! was the hard work with all involved, that it was completed by 3.30 that same afternoon! Alec Baker All volunteers were a mix of Alton Society, Northern Wey Trust and Alton College members as well as members of the public. All are most welcome for volunteering help 18 King’s Pond to confluence with Caker Stream with Alton Natural History Society – Dr June Chatfield (Saponaria officinalis) in flower. This plant is usually associated with settlements as it was used This was a joint walk between the NWT as a soap (hence its name) in earlier times before and Alton Natural History Society held on 8th detergents. Usually found near human habitation, August 2014. The group met at King’s Pond car soapwort was once used for washing wool and park and after viewing the bird life in the pond including the diving activities of little grebe from woollen cloth: when bruised and boiled in water it the weir, we examined the two alder trees in the produces a frothy liquid. It was once cultivated corner by King’s Pond Bungalows for alder tongue near woollen mills and Orps Mill above King’s Pond galls (Taphrina alderi ) emerging from the alder was for the cloth trade (see above walk) but today cones. soapwort is grown as a garden flower and that They are produced by a fungus and look like red was probably the origin of this one. tongues hanging out. In looking for the galls a Imported soil was used on the river bank in parent bug (Elasmuch grisea) sitting on its eggs restoration work after disturbance when the was seen on an alder leaf. Exiting on the footpath Lamports flats were built. Following the footpath beside the Waterside Court flats we noted the along the Wey from Paper Mill Lane to the steps Lasham Drain and the stream merging from up to Newman Lane, verges in Newman Lane and below the weir, all of which was channelled when Mill Lane and the River Wey from Anstey Popham the old mill site was redeveloped in 1989. Mill to its confluence with the Caker Stream over 100 species of flowering plants were listed. A rabbit was seen on a bank across the Wey and house martins were whirling overhead. Tongue gall (Taphrina alderi) on alder cones at Kings Pond Alton. Photo: J. Chatfield Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) on the river bank at Paper Mill Lane, Alton. Crossing Paper Mill Lane wild flowers were seen on Photo: June Chatfield the banks including a fine plant of soapwort 19 White Clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius papillipes) Crayfish are crustaceans. This is a vast invertebrate phylum of predominantly aquatic The White Clawed Crayfish animals and from this taxonomic group they can (Austropotamobius papillipes) is the only native be further subdivided into the Class Malacostra species of crayfish in the British Isles and is the and the Order Decapoda, the largest Order in the largest crustacean in our fresh waters. It is phylum. Decapods are easily recognisable as locally abundant in some areas of the north east animals we are very familiar with such as Crabs, of England and Wales but is suffering a serious Hermit Crabs, Shrimps and Lobsters. All have a decline due to external factors in other areas. dorsal carapace, ten legs with the first claws modified as pincers or claws, and an eight Their greatest threat comes from non-native segmented thorax with a six (and rarely seven) invasive species. Six alien species of crayfish segmented abdomen. currently infest our rivers, most notably the North American Signal crayfish. This particular species The thoracic segments are fused together with now inhabits 80% of our waterways and it is only the head structure to form what is termed a in the north west of England that is currently clear cephalothorax. This in turn is joined to the of the species. Since the 1970’s when the Signal abdomen. Covering all of the cephalothorax and Crayfish was introduced, the population of the varying degrees of the abdomen, dependant on White Clawed Crayfish has declined by over species, is a hardened dorsal structure called a 50%. carapace. This gives a degree of protection to a vulnerable area on the animal. In crabs for The species in this country originated as an instance, the carapace extends to cover the introduction from America in the 1970’s which whole of the abdomen which gives them the were sold to farmers as a means of diversifying broad solid look that is so distinctive. In Crayfish into new markets. A few of these species this extends down laterally to cover the thoracic escaped, and, as with all non -native invasive gills within a protective chamber and is thus a species currently in this country has managed by feature to assist in identification. a stint of adaptable ecology and aggressive competitiveness to spread swiftly through a broad They are omnivorous and will capture live prey spectrum of niches. It is even able to cross over and also eat vegetation should needs arise. As terrestrial habitats between water courses. New with all Crustaceans, Crayfish need to extract populations have also been established as result minerals, primarily calcium ions, from their of accidental translocations. environment to sustain their shell like exoskeleton. Chalk rich streams are a preference Ecology for their ecology, and being intolerant of pollution, they are good water quality indicators: a high Table 1: Taxonomy of the White Clawed Crayfish. amount of dissolved oxygen; a balanced, stable pH (6.8 – 8.6) and an absence of toxic chemicals are habitat preferences. Phylum Crustacea Class Malacostra Crayfish are principally nocturnal species, and although they do not actually hibernate, they Super Order Eucarida spend much of the winter months holed up in Order Decapoda their burrows, which may be in water course Superfamily Astacoidea banks or amongst the river beds.

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