17/8/21 Gaywood River Survey.
I am very happy to say the Gaywood river has been, for the most part, very clear since the last survey and there has been a large increase in the growth of submerged and emergent vegetation, a reflection of the healthy growth on terra firma. The growth of bracken has been very noticeable, along with the nettles ! There has been a dearth of butterflies and moths though. Sometime in June (?) there was a meeting between the GVCG and the Gaywood River Improvement group on the current state of the river. Unfortunately, as mentioned in last Tales, I was not invited, although I have been surveying the river for the past 7 years and know the river very well and the chemistry, not in detail, obviously. But I have been able to discover when and where any pollution has occurred, including suspended solids. The EA stated that was acknowledged as pollution. This frequently occurs when any dredging or bed levelling is performed. Once in 1998, it carried on for weeks, causing the vegetation to die back because of settlement of the suspended solids and was reported at the time to the EA. I also found a Brown Trout that had asphyxiated because of contamination of its gills. There are plans to improve the river with the Water Industries National Ecology programme. I would like to be part of that.
Alistair Milner
