SUMMER 2012 27 Action for the River Kennet River talk A partnership OF PEOPLE WHO care ABOUT THE Kennet A perfect specimen of a A message from lime-hawk moth One of the many amazing Claire Perry MP species recorded during ARK’s Stonebridge Meadow moth I was horrified by the dried up state of the River in Marlborough evening on 25 June. and Manton when I visited earlier this year. What is a Redd? Redds are the nests in which brown trout lay their eggs on the gravel floor of the river. Recording them is a vital part of ARK’s conservation work and we already have a team of about twenty volunteer surveyors, if you would like to become one of them please contact Redd Co-ordinator Harry Forbes at [email protected] The River Kennet is one of the most much-needed North–South Swindon beautiful natural features in the pipeline solution which will reduce Devizes Constituency and plays abstraction from the Kennet. a vital role in the eco system. I also know from letters and emails ARK does a wonderful job drawing that many local people feel as public and political attention to the passionately about this as I do. Kennet’s plight as well as fantastic practical work on the ground. I hope After many years of discussion and to be able to join one of the volunteer lobbying by ARK I am delighted that working groups, one Wednesday this progress is now being made on the Summer. Action for River Kennet Newsletter 27 SUMMER 2012 PAGE 2 News from the Chairman As you will see from this edition of River Talk, ARK has been as active – and successful – as ever. And as always, we have good news and less good news. Winter of Drought MP for Broxbourne and Chair of the Solving the abstraction APPG, and Martin Salter former MP problem We have been through one of the for Reading West and now Campaigns driest winters in recent history, Manager for the Angling Trust, to Thames Water and the Environment followed by the one of the wettest lament the dry river bed in Manton Agency have told us that funding is springs. The recent heavy rains have (see front cover). at last in place to build a new pipeline restored the flows – at least for the joining north and south Swindon – time being. But it is too soon to know Water for Life the critical step that will allow Thames what effect the drought has had on Water to reduce its abstraction from the river wildlife, particularly the In January the Government published Axford. They cannot, however, give us smaller invertebrates at the bottom its White Paper Water for Life. In a timetable for its construction before of the food chain. The one up-side response, we submitted written the end of the year. We continue to was that it drew stark attention to and oral evidence to the House of press for a quicker outcome. the vulnerability of the river – an Commons Select Committee on opportunity that we did not fail to Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Water Metering use. drawing attention to the Kennet’s over-abstraction and broadly We have also heard recently that Engaging our MPs welcoming the policy direction, while DEFRA has finally given Thames urging a quicker timetable. Water permission to start its long Last September, Charlotte awaited programme of compulsory Hitchmough and I met with the In its report published on 5 July the monitoring. Their plan is to fit 85,000 Minister for Environment and Committee quoted ARK’s description meters by April 2015 and then Fisheries, and MP for Newbury, of the Kennet as in ‘crisis’. We are also confirm the pace of the future roll Richard Benyon, together with our very pleased they wholeheartedly out in their 2014 business plan. This own Devizes MP Claire Perry and Tom support our argument for much more is excellent news. All the national LeQuesne (WWF-UK) on the dry river urgency in reforming the abstraction and international data shows the bed in Marlborough. The Minister was regime, and like us they call for the extent to which metering reduces shocked by what he saw and referred Government to introduce water consumption to it in a speech in the Commons the metering much more vigorously. following day. Life for ARK and the river continues Now we await publication of the to be very interesting. I remain an That meeting led to Claire Perry Government’s promised water bill. We optimist. inviting the All Party Parliament shall study it and, I hope with Claire Group on Angling to visit the river. Perry’s help, press for any necessary Geoffrey Findlay Accordingly in January Claire and amendments. we hosted a visit by Charles Walker Action for River Kennet Newsletter 27 SUMMER 2012 PAGE 3 ARK Street Collection In March ARK held its first-ever street collection in Marlborough High Street. Thanks to everyone who gave their time to hold a tin or man the information stand, we raised more than £700 and recruited 19 new members. Courtesy of Thames Water, we also gave away lots of free water-saving gadgets and signed people up to the free water-saving home makeover. Dr Asghar Nawab meets the local wildlife at Stonebridge Lane Wild River Reserve Visitors from India In May, Charlotte and I were delighted to host two visitors from India as part of the new Thames and Ganges Twinning Programme organised by Robert Oates, Director of Thames River Restoration Trust http://trrt.org.uk (of which ARK is a ARK in the member). We showed the visitors, Mr Manoj Misra (CEO, PEACE Institute, Delhi) and Dr Asghar Nawab (WWF India), Spotlight around the work we are doing with volunteers in and around To keep the plight of the Kennet in people’s minds we Stonebridge Meadow. have worked with BBC’s Panorama ‘Drinking our Rivers They have been remarkably Dry?’ programme which was broadcast last autumn. successful in mobilising 14 village communities to monitor and report on the state of the upper reaches We have also kept up good local Drought’ programmes and in June of the 1400 km holy River Yamuna and national press coverage with Geoffrey Findlay was interviewed – one of the major tributaries of the features on BBC, ITN and CNN on the BBC Wiltshire Breakfast Show Ganges. Their rivers suffer similar and articles in The Times, The about the lifting of Thames Water’s problems to ours, so maybe we have Guardian, The Independent and emergency hosepipe ban, while something to learn here. local press. ARK and the River Charlotte Hitchmough was able to Kennet also featured in two of talk about the same subject on the Geoffrey Findlay the BBC’s regional ‘Inside Out main BBC’s TV News. Action for River Kennet Newsletter 27 SUMMER 2012 PAGE 4 Businesses and individuals who generously donated prizes to The Grand Pond Raffle: Beauty Fulltime Lighting of Distinction Bertie Maffoon Littlecote House Hotel Bowood House & Gardens Longleat Bramble & Bows Mark Carwardine Castle & Ball Hotel Marlborough College Cholderton Charlie’s Farm Marlborough Golf Club Costa Coffee Marlborough Parade Cotswold Wildlife Park Antiques Centre David Dudley Jeweller Marlborough Teak Deacon & Son One Stop Ducklings Paul Maslin East Primrose Lane Edinburgh Woollen Mill Ramsbury Soap Bar Elm Tree Motor Company Company Eric’s Attic Sheena Bird Evergreen Optics Sound Knowledge Fair Isle Studley Grange Butterfly Fat Moon Trading World Geoffrey Findlay Sumbler Bros Godot’s The Bear, Marlborough Haine & Smith The Food Gallery Hampton’s International The Lamb Inn, Marlborough This spring the Stonebridge boardwalk was extended so that Hungerford Garden Centre The Polly Tearooms more disabled people have access for the full length of Wild Kennet Pharmacy The White Horse Book Shop Kingsbury Hair & Beauty WH Smith River Reserve. A beautiful sarsen stone has also been erected Landmark to recognise the contribution of WWF-UK and their past President HRH Princess Alexandra. Stonebridge Lane Wild River Reserve Stonebridge Meadow Day Despite torrential rain and gale force winds we had a great turn-out for the Meadow Day on 29 April, organised by Anna and Harry Forbes. Friends and families braved the elements to see and hear about the amazing wildlife that lives in the River Kennet and the meadow that is being managed as a wild river reserve. On the guided walks, one of which was led by local author and wildlife expert Peter Marren, supporters of ARK had good views of an amazing range of species including greater spotted woodpecker, kingfisher, bullfinch, blackcap and four species of snail. There was also much evidence of the healthy water vole population. ARK’s riverfly monitors, who carry out important surveying of river invertebrates were on hand to help the many young children present explore the river and get up close to the wide variety of creatures that live in the riverbed. Stonebridge Meadow Day – Explaining what the barley straw bales do in the river. Action for River Kennet Newsletter 27 SUMMER 2012 PAGE 5 County Recorders at Stonebridge Lane The Wiltshire County Recorders are a group of wildlife experts who give their time voluntarily to record specific groups of flora and fauna. Following overtures from ARK, their In April the small mammal recorder All the information gathered will chairman, Diptera recorder Anthony set 30 Longworth traps in the be used to shape the ongoing Bainbridge, suggested that they meadow and on the final day the management plans for the reserve as make the Stonebridge Lane Wild public were invited to see the shrews, well as being submitted to Wiltshire River Reserve their main focus for the wood mice, bank voles and short– and Swindon Biological Record year.