Water: Quality and Quantity
Without good water quality and, of course quantity, there will be a breakdown of the food chain from which stems the diversity of species that live in and above the waters of the Wye and Usk. You might think that the remote and wild areas from which the Wye and Usk emanate would be free from the effects of pollution that has blighted the industrial rivers of South Wales and many parts of England. Unfortunately this is not the case.
While the demand for water has diminished from heavy industry, the requirement for domestic and agricultural use continues upwards against the background of an uncertain supply and unsympathetic development strategies. Climate change can mean high summer flows in some years and droughts the next. Winter flows also look certain to become more variable.
Acid rain and land use changes pose insidious threats to our rivers that can be just as serious. The mechanisms are complicated and these links take you through the whole range of problems related to water, as well as dealing with the solutions:
Fish Legal are a prime mover in bringing about water quality improvements. Using common law, which requires a much lower burden of proof, claims for damages are brought against polluters or their insurers, making it uneconomic to continue damaging the aquatic environment.
