Cleaner waters, more fish- the state of UK rivers

In the late 1950s the lower Thames was a dead river. The famous Victorian sewers might have been taking most of the human waste far downstream but there was still a great deal emptying straight into the stream, plus an industrial pollutant load that rendered life in the water impossible for almost all river species.
Fast forward 60 years and the Thames is back with a vengeance. The water quality in the lower reaches has improved beyond measure. Salmon, smelt, bass, and sole can be found there again. Amphibians, plant life, and wading birds are all making their presence known once more. Seahorses have even been spotted living in the estuary.
The Thames is not the only river to have benefitted from a major clean-up campaign over the last few decades. The Stour, the Dee, and the Mersey have all seen huge improvements and there are plenty of other examples. The Taff, which once ran black with the coal dust from dozens of South Wales mines, is now clear. Sea trout, eels, and salmon are becoming common again. Otters are returning more slowly, but populations are rising.
River clean-up projects are not solely for the benefit of the fish. The filthy, dead river that used to drain Merthyr Vale colliery is now the centrepiece for a Parc Taf Bargoed, a beauty spot that brings cyclists, fishermen, birdwatchers, kayakers, and picnickers in from miles around. It’s not alone. As the rivers everywhere become cleaner their value to local people skyrockets.
The most successful projects haven’t just tightened controls on industrial and human waste entering the water. There is a lot more to restoring a damaged ecosystem. Sometimes the amount of water diverted away for irrigation has to be reduced, for example, and the banks may require a great deal of rehabilitation. As anyone who spends even a short time time on the rivers knows, there’s a world of difference between in a concrete canal and a natural course with vegetated or sandy banks, deep pools, meanders, wetlands, and shallows.
Restoring a river to its natural state takes a great deal of hard work and a lot of cash too. It’s estimated that about a billion pounds was spent in the Mersey catchment alone. Volunteers have put in countless hours across the country, doing everything from petition their council to replanting riverbanks and cleaning up rubbish. However, it’s clear that the battle can be won, and in many rivers it is being won.
Environmental campaigners, government agencies, and local angling and birdwatching clubs should share in the credit for bringing rivers like the Taff and the Thames back from the dead- surely one of the greatest environmental achievements the UK has ever seen.

Jess Spate lives close to the Taff in South Wales, and is a regular visitor to Parc Taf Bargoed. She has also been lucky enough to see the salmon leap at the weirs near the centre of Cardiff.