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Rivers: River Tame

Having listened to an article on the BBC R4 programme this morning it now seems my optimistic comment (27/02/21) about the state of inland waters was misplaced. It appears that the River Wye, one of the U.K. treasures, is now all but a cess pool. The wholesale use of chicken excrement as a fertiliser in land bordering the river has created, through nitrates and phosphates leaching into the watercourse, periods of massive algal bloom, turning the water opaque and thus killing the plant life on the river bottom. This then kills the fish.

It is becoming apparent that cuts to inspection and monitoring, plus the considerable increase in high density chicken production in the area close to the river, is allowing or causing such things to occur. Increasing age is now cutting my sailing to next to nothing, although I renewed my membership of the club this year, so I am unable accurately to comment upon the state of the waters of the Trent which partly feeds the lakes at present.

Don’t lick your fingers!
 
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Richard Dye said:
I am surprised that this is so prevalent in 2021
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I went back through the entire document by The Rivers Trust, it is SO revealing and disappointing. When you compare the numbers to say France or even Germany it is terrible. I’m going to look for a like analysis in the US as a comparison.
 
We, in the South West, have been told that our high water charges were to improve clean beaches and improve any pollution. We were told this when the water industry was privatised. We are still paying it seems.
 
"For much of its history, the Tame was a rural river. Up until the 19th century it was a productive fishery and popular with anglers; Isaac Walton, the author of ‘The Compleat Angler’ (1653), fished the river in the 1600’s, and trout from the Tame were served at Queen Victoria’s coronation dinner in 1838......The traditional industries of Birmingham and the Black Country, based on coal, iron and steel, were heavily polluting, and by the 1950s the Tame was one of the dirtiest rivers in Britain.....At Minworth, the river flows past Europe’s largest sewage treatment works, treating domestic and industrial waste water from across Birmingham."

Looks like all the good work is being undone !

www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk

River Tame | Tame Valley Wetlands

www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk
 
Pedrocut said:
"For much of its history, the Tame was a rural river. Up until the 19th century it was a productive fishery and popular with anglers; Isaac Walton, the author of ‘The Compleat Angler’ (1653), fished the river in the 1600’s, and trout from the Tame were served at Queen Victoria’s coronation dinner in 1838......The traditional industries of Birmingham and the Black Country, based on coal, iron and steel, were heavily polluting, and by the 1950s the Tame was one of the dirtiest rivers in Britain.....At Minworth, the river flows past Europe’s largest sewage treatment works, treating domestic and industrial waste water from across Birmingham."

Looks like all the good work is being undone !

www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk

River Tame | Tame Valley Wetlands

www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk
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Such a shame!
 
The second part of an interesting expedition by two brothers to get across Birmingham from the Sandwell border to the Solihull border without walking down any roads, apart from very short distances.
This part includes their trip along the Rivers Rea and Tame ... Wow, I held my breath for them in some parts!!

 
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A Sparks said:
The second part of an interesting expedition by two brothers to get across Birmingham from the Sandwell border to the Solihull border without walking down any roads, apart from very short distances.
This part includes their trip along the Rivers Rea and Tame ... Wow, I held my breath for them in some parts!!

Click to expand...
wow :poop:glad the video is not smelly vision
 
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