Wye canoe? Canoeists' guide to the River Wye We are the Environment Agency. It’s our job to look after your environment and make it a better place – for you, and for future generations. Your environment is the air you breathe, the water you drink and the ground you walk on. Working with business, Government and society as a whole, we are making your environment cleaner and healthier. The Environment Agency. Out there, making your environment a better place to live and play. This guide is also available in Welsh. Mae’r cyfeirlyfr hwn ar gael yn Gymraeg hefyd. Published by: Environment Agency Sapphire East 550 Streetsbrook Road Solihull B91 1QT Tel: 03708 506506. Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk Cover photograph - canoeing at Ross-on-Wye © Environment Agency All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency ISBN: 978-1-84432-914-4 Edition: 13th edition 2011 Contents Introduction 04 Health and hygiene 24 The River Wye 05 Health and hygiene guidelines 24 Conservation of wildlife 06 Leptospirosis (Weil's Disease) 24 Navigation and recreational advice 09 Itinerary 25 Navigation rights and access 09 Launching and landing 25 The Rivers Wye and Lugg navigation 10 Overview of map sections 26 Canoeing on the River Wye 11 Maps 28 Upper Wye Canoe Access Agreement 11 Accommodation 56 River gradings 13 Tourist information centres 60 River gradings for the River Wye 15 Useful websites 60 BCU and WCA contacts 17 Transport 61 Canoe hire and instruction 17 Maps 61 Good practice guides 18 Acknowledgements 61 Code of conduct 19 Wye Management Advisory Group General guidance for all river users 19 (WyeMAG) 61 Specific guidance for those out on the water in a boat 19 Guidance for specific activities 20 Fishing seasons 20 Safety on the river 22 Daily river level information 22 Safety guidelines 22 Tides 23 Environment Agency Canoeists' guide to the River Wye 3 Introduction We are the navigation authority responsible for the Rivers Wye and Lugg. It’s our job to look after the environment and the navigation for these rivers. The Wye Navigation Advisory Committee (WNAC) assists us in developing sustainable recreation and navigation on the river. The group was set up in 2003 and operates under an independent chairperson. Members represent a wide range of user interests, including pleasure craft operators, canoeists, rowers, landowners, local authorities and those with angling wildlife and conservation interests. The River Wye at Symonds Yat 4 Environment Agency Canoeists' guide to the River Wye The River Wye The Wye Valley is an important area gravelly stretches mixed with rocky for tourism, attracting many cascades. The river is narrow and fast thousands of visitors each year. flowing through the high hills and The river is a unique resource for rugged terrain towards Hay-on-Wye. sport and recreation. It is important From Hay to Whitney, the Wye flows for many activities as well as between the Black Mountains and the canoeing, including game fishing Radnorshire Hills. Here the river is (mainly for salmon), coarse fishing, generally shallow, with minor rapids rafting, rowing, walking, bird watching and several long pools. From Whitney and picnicking. to Hereford, the character of the river changes as it meanders through a The River Wye is about 250km long broad floodplain. Below Bredwardine, and one of the longest rivers in the channel narrows before entering a Britain. It is mostly unaltered with no wide valley with high banks upstream large man-made structures such as of Ross-on-Wye. From here, the river weirs on the main stem of the river or enters perhaps the most dramatic on most of the tributaries. The Wye section, with spectacular views and rises in the Cambrian Mountains on deep wooded gorges down to Plynlimon before meeting the Severn Chepstow where it enters the Severn Estuary at the fortress town of Estuary. Chepstow. Close to its source, the river is characterised by still, shallow, Walking at Ross-on-Wye Environment Agency Canoeists' guide to the River Wye 5 Conservation of wildlife and luck is required to spot one. However, you can see signs of otters The River Wye is a Site of Special as you canoe down the Wye and the Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Lugg: footprints at the edge of muddy Area of Conservation (SAC) under the banks and droppings (‘spraints’) on European Habitats Directive. Also the rocks are the obvious signs to look lower river from Mordiford to out for. It is an offence under the Chepstow is an Area of Outstanding Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to Natural Beauty (AONB) and is kill, injure or take an otter from the regarded as one of the finest lowland wild without a licence; to damage or landscapes in Britain. Some of the obstruct an otter’s den (holt) or plants and animals found along the disturb an otter in its resting place. river are of international importance. You should take care not to disturb Below are just some of the species any dense vegetation, tree roots or that you might see along your journey. rocky cavities that might harbour an Otter otter, especially during the daytime Otters now range all over the River and when looking for a suitable entry Wye catchment and its main or exit point to the river. tributaries, including the River Lugg. They can grow to the size of a medium-sized dog, and are largely nocturnal mammals. A lot of patience Otter 6 Environment Agency Canoeists' guide to the River Wye Water-crowfoot White clawed crayfish equipment is dried thoroughly before These are the UK’s only native you use it again in another river to kill freshwater crayfish and the River Wye the infection. system is the best site known in It is an offence under the Wildlife and Wales for them. Crayfish are naturally Countryside Act to take or sell native found amongst stones in the river bed freshwater crayfish from the wild. and bank, and amongst tree roots and in other cavities such as stone walls. Water-crowfoot They favour clean water habitats and There are several different species of are therefore sensitive to pollution. this aquatic plant found along the upper and lower reaches of the river. There are some serious threats to the In the summer, the plant can form survival of this native species by the extensive mats, and produces flowers introduction of the North American that add to the beauty and character signal crayfish. This non-native of the river. crayfish competes for food and habitat, and carries the crayfish Water-crowfoot forms part of a habitat plague. This fungal plague is also that helps give the River Wye its SAC carried in water and on equipment Status. It is illegal to remove it without such as wetsuits, canoes and fishing consent from Natural England or the equipment that have been in contact Countryside Council for Wales. If you with infected water or crayfish. It’s are experiencing problems navigating important that you make sure all the river as a result of extensive Environment Agency Canoeists' guide to the River Wye 7 Salmon growth of this plant, please contact During these months, you should take one of the Environment Agency’s care not to disturb or damage areas of Biodiversity Officers on gravel bed that may appear to have 029 2024 5256 for advice; they will been recently disturbed, as these are be happy to help. likely to be redds. Salmon Other species that are found in the The Wye Atlantic salmon population is River Wye, and which also give the of considerable importance in UK river its SAC status, include: sea terms and, historically, the river is the lamprey, brook lamprey, river lamprey, most productive in Wales for this fish. twaite shad and bullhead. Modification of the river has been kept If you require any further information to a minimum, thereby protecting on any of the above species, you can important spawning habitat. contact your local Biodiversity Officer Salmon require a good flow of clean on 029 2024 5256 or Fisheries Officer water over an exposed gravel bed for on 029 2024 5289 . Natural England spawning. Migration up the river and the Countryside Council for Wales generally occurs between October and can also provide information on the January, with spawning usually SSSI and SAC designation and occurring in late winter. Eggs are designated features. buried in the gravel in nests known as “redds”, with fry emerging in May. 8 Environment Agency Canoeists' guide to the River Wye Navigation and recreational advice Navigation rights and access which we are the navigation authority) is approximately 185 kilometres. The The River Wye has been used for Gloucester Harbour Trustees are the navigation for many centuries. In the navigation authority for the tidal past the Wye was an important section of the River Wye downstream commercial waterway but, the of Bigsweir Bridge. infrastructure that supports this, such as locks and weirs, has long since The public right of navigation below been removed. Today, boating on the Hay does not give a right of access to river is mostly canoeing and rowing, the riverbank and other than at but with some passenger sightseeing accepted public sites, you must get boats operating around Symonds Yat. permission from the landowner before launching and landing canoes. A public right of navigation extends Permission is also needed to camp or from Bigsweir Bridge upstream to Hay picnic on the banks or neighbouring Town Bridge on the main River Wye, fields. and on the River Lugg between its confluence with the Wye and Presteigne Town Bridge.