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  • issues
  1. The rivers
  2. The issues

The Issues

In the mid-1990s the Foundation investigated the possible causes of the decline in Wye salmon.

We found a range of problems that had combined to damage fish stocks and the river environment as a whole. Barriers to fish migration, diffuse and point pollution, acidification and habitat degradation were the primary causes.

It wasn't simply the number of problems but also the extent to which each and almost every part of the upper Wye catchment had been affected that had caused the severity of the decline.

Nearly all these problems were found on each catchment that we turned our attention to. As a result, the same types of remedies, described in the River Work and Farm Work sections, have been applied to the Usk and other parts of the Wye catchment too.

Facing up to new issues and threats

While the Foundation has resolved many of these issues, new problems and threats to the rivers have arisen since these original surveys. Severn tidal power and the effects of climate change are just two examples of potential threats that have emerged in recent years.

The Wye and Usk will, no doubt, face new, unforeseen issues in the future. The Foundation is determined to confront and resolve any that arise but we need your help to do this. Please see the Support Us section to find out how.

More details on the various issues facing the rivers are given below.

Degraded Habitat

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degraded river habitatFor many fish species, the smaller rivers and streams of a catchment are vital for spawning and juvenile habitat. The state of the tributaries and the quality of the water flowing out of them also has a direct influence on the flora and fauna that inhabit the main river.

During our surveys of the upper Wye in the mid 1990s we found the habitat of nearly all the tributaries was in a poor state.

We found a similar situation a few years later when we came to the Usk and other parts of the Wye catchment.

How and why habitat degradation happens.

What the Foundation does to restore habitat in streams and rivers.

Published: 22nd March, 2018

Updated: 23rd March, 2018

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Severn Tidal Power

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The Severn EstuaryThe Severn Estuary has the second largest tidal range in the world. The possibility of harnessing that energy for power generation has been mooted from the 1800s.

The latest proposals involve the building of a tidal lagoon at Swansea Bay, as a prelude to building several more near Cardiff, Newport and elsewhere.

The developers have gone to great lengths to promote the scheme as being both environmentally and ‘people’ friendly.

However, the Foundation is concerned over the high cost of electricity production, damage to fish stocks and the significant and permanent changes in the Bay. In Cornwall, there will be negative effects of quarrying the stone required to build the lagoon. If built, there may also be unresolved problems of siltation too.

Read more on Severn Tidal Power.

Published: 23rd March, 2018

Updated: 26th March, 2018

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Water Pollution

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The Wye and Usk have suffered pollution from various sources over the years. River pollution

The Foundation invests much time and effort in stopping pollutants from entering watercourses. Where they have, we restore the ecology of the rivers and streams that have been affected. 

Read more about pollution, it's sources and our work to prevent pollution in the Wye & Usk catchments.

Published: 23rd March, 2018

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Barriers to Fish Migration

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A barrier to fish migration on the Cynrig, a tributary of the Usk. The Foundation built a fish pass here in 2006.When it comes to fish migration, most people’s thoughts turn immediately to Atlantic salmon leaping over waterfalls on their way to the headwaters to spawn.

However, nearly all river fish migrate to some degree and for various reasons. The ability to do move freely up and down a river system is therefore essential for healthy fish populations.  

When the Foundation started in 1996, large areas of the Wye and Usk catchments had become blocked to migrating fish. The majority of these barriers were on tributaries. As a result, the biggest negative impact was on salmon and trout who use the smaller streams to spawn.  

Read more about barriers to migration and the Foundation’s work to restore access.

Published: 26th March, 2018

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Exploitation of fish stocks

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For Atlantic salmon in particular, the exploitation of stocks by humans remains a controversial issue. In the past, it has taken its toll on their overall numbers, occurring throughout the adult stages of their life cycle.

Even juvenile salmon haven’t always been spared. A hundred years ago netting smolts as they migrated out to sea was not uncommon.

Other fish are also taken, such as brown trout and coarse species but in nowhere near the same numbers or at levels that have threatened their survival.

Read more about human exploitation of salmon and what the Foundation has done to encourage their conservation.

Published: 9th April, 2018

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Salmon Hatcheries

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Artificial stocking of salmonDespite their closure in Wales in 2015, salmon hatcheries have remained a controversial and divisive subject.

At a glance, they can appear a viable fishery management option. They involve taking adult salmon out of the river and artificially rearing their progeny in protected surroundings away from predators and other threats such as poor water quality. The young fish are then re-introduced to the river at a later date.

This may sound logical enough. Yet in most instances and for a variety of reasons, hatcheries are not the answer to declining salmon populations. In some cases it could even be argued that they have been a hindrance to recovery themselves.

The Foundation believes strongly that solving the issues that affect the river (i.e. treating the cause and not the symptom) is the most effective way of delivering improvements to fish populations.

Salmon hatcheries are a large and, at times, complex subject. Read more about them, the arguments for and against and their history in the management of the Wye and Usk.

Published: 10th April, 2018

Updated: 11th April, 2018

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Predation

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Wye barbel killed by an otterAll fish species are subject to predation by other fish, by avian predators such as herons, dippers and kingfishers and by mammals such as otters.

These predators have existed in the Wye and Usk catchments for millennia and are an important part of the natural environment.

However, the impacts of predation are more significant when the population of a prey species is already depleted. Such impacts may be even more adverse when a new predator species arrives on the scene.

Read more about predation in the Wye and Usk and what the Foundation has done to mitigate the effects on already-depleted fish species.

Published: 10th April, 2018

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Acidification

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Twenty years ago the streams of the upper Wye and Irfon catchment appeared to be in pristine condition. But taking a closer look would reveal they were lifeless – no fish, invertebrates, plant life or even slime on the stones.

This had been caused by an increase in the frequency and intensity of flushes of acidity flowing into them after rainfall. The result was devastating not just for fish but for the ecology of the whole area.

Read more about acidification, how it came about and what the Foundation and its partners have done to correct it.

Published: 11th April, 2018

Updated: 12th April, 2018

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Algal Blooms

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Algal blooms have occurred in both rivers for some years. However, since 2016 these blooms have become much more severe and prolonged, turning the water anything from a light green to dark brown in colour.

The problem is caused by a combination of sunlight, low flows and elevated levels of phosphate in the water.

Read more on the causes and problem with algal blooms along with what the Foundation is doing to tackle this issue.

Published: 12th December, 2018

Updated: 12th December, 2019

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The Wye and Usk Foundation
The Right Bank, The Square
Talgarth
Brecon
LD3 0BW

[email protected] +44 (0) 1874 711714
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The Wye & Usk Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales (no. 1080319).

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Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru
Natural Resources Wales
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  • E:[email protected]
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  • Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru Natural Resources Wales
Wye and Usk Foundation
  • The Right Bank, The Square
    Talgarth, Brecon, Powys, LD3 0BW
  • E:[email protected]
  • T:01874 711714
  • W:www.wyeuskfoundation.org
  • Wye and Usk Foundation