Your favourite river

[Paul mabbott]

I've not heard of this organisation before but they sound useful. They're running a poll at present:
Home - Our Rivers
So let them know of good rivers for wildlife and bad ones. Share your thoughts with the rest of us!

[Stinky Bob]

Well I voted and no prizes for what River

[earthdragon64]

I was going to vote, but it may be worth pointing out that Scotland isn't included, the nominations are just for England and Wales, although the website is a bit confusing. At one point it states;

"The Our Rivers partnership has launched a major search across England and Wales for the best and worst rivers, and we need your help."

But in the very next paragraph it states;

"We are calling on everyone from nature lovers and anglers to boater and ramblers and anyone who cares about their local river to cast their vote for Britain's Best and Worst Rivers, and with just a few clicks you can fame or shame your local river."

Nice idea though.

Regards, Audrey.

[Deb London]

I went for the Thames (gawd, how predictable). Was thinking about the Colne too, but could only vote for one.

[turkeyneck]

Interesting poll this, it will be interesting to see the results, especially the results for the worse river.
I voted for the Leaden Stour near Throop, Bournemouth

[Pete Collins]

I voted for the tiny river Ver, purely on the grounds that it rises in my village - at least it does during the winter months, and then it's little more than a ditch! But it does become an attractive chalk stream as it passes Redbournbury (where I've seen Little Egrets and Banded demoiselle), and it's even quite pleasant as it goes through St Albans (which took its Roman name Verulamium from the river, of course).

Originally Posted by Deb London

I went for the Thames (gawd, how predictable). Was thinking about the Colne too, but could only vote for one.

Funnily enough, the Ver flows into the river Colne, near Bricket Wood.

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

I voted for the tiny river Ver, purely on the grounds that it rises in my village - at least it does during the winter months, and then it's little more than a ditch! But it does become an attractive chalk stream as it passes Redbournbury (where I've seen Little Egrets and Banded demoiselle), and it's even quite pleasant as it goes through St Albans (which took its Roman name Verulamium from the river, of course).



Funnily enough, the Ver flows into the river Colne, near Bricket Wood.

Does it really? Will have to look that one up then.

[Chiltern Ben]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

I voted for the tiny river Ver, purely on the grounds that it rises in my village - at least it does during the winter months, and then it's little more than a ditch! But it does become an attractive chalk stream as it passes Redbournbury (where I've seen Little Egrets and Banded demoiselle), and it's even quite pleasant as it goes through St Albans (which took its Roman name Verulamium from the river, of course).

Hi Pete,

It's interesting you voted for the Ver. I know all the tribs of the Colne really well and I agree the Ver can be a top chalk stream depending on the groundwater levels. Much of it has had problems with abstraction and running in mill races along the valleyside rather than running through the flood plain. As part of my work I've been invoved in a lot of river restoration on the Ver including: i) putting in the fish passes, removing wiers and channel narrowing just downstream of Redbournbury mill where we reconnected the Ver to the flood plain to go around Shafford mill, ii) installing a fish pass at Pre mill, under the old sawmill and narrowed the channel iii) diverted 75% of the river flow downstream of Pre mill back onto the floodplain (via the old Verulamium wall) so it flows around Kingsbury mill, iv) put in a fish pass at the end of the Verulamium Park and v) removed a weir at Sopwell. All the fish passes also get the river back closer to its natural gradient (about 1:350), so it now acts more like a natural chalk river. I wanted to change the spill weir just downstream of the M25 to improve the gradient and improve fish passage but it involves the foundations of the M25, so a tad too expensive at present.

Did you know that the Friars Wash pumping station is now normally switched off, so more water is available for the Ver? It used to supply drinking water for Luton but this now comes from Gratham Water. I think the next thing to do is look at the abstractions in St Albans to see if anything can be done about those.

What do you think about the Chess and Mimram, my favorite chalk streams?

Cheers, Ben

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Chiltern Ben

Hi Pete,

It's interesting you voted for the Ver. I know all the tribs of the Colne really well and I agree the Ver can be a top chalk stream depending on the groundwater levels. Much of it has had problems with abstraction and running in mill races along the valleyside rather than running through the flood plain. As part of my work I've been invoved in a lot of river restoration on the Ver including: i) putting in the fish passes, removing wiers and channel narrowing just downstream of Redbournbury mill where we reconnected the Ver to the flood plain to go around Shafford mill, ii) installing a fish pass at Pre mill, under the old sawmill and narrowed the channel iii) diverted 75% of the river flow downstream of Pre mill back onto the floodplain (via the old Verulamium wall) so it flows around Kingsbury mill, iv) put in a fish pass at the end of the Verulamium Park and v) removed a weir at Sopwell. All the fish passes also get the river back closer to its natural gradient (about 1:350), so it now acts more like a natural chalk river. I wanted to change the spill weir just downstream of the M25 to improve the gradient and improve fish passage but it involves the foundations of the M25, so a tad too expensive at present.

Did you know that the Friars Wash pumping station is now normally switched off, so more water is available for the Ver? It used to supply drinking water for Luton but this now comes from Gratham Water. I think the next thing to do is look at the abstractions in St Albans to see if anything can be done about those.

What do you think about the Chess and Mimram, my favorite chalk streams?

Cheers, Ben

That's fascinating Ben, it's great to know that such an effort is being made to restore and protect the Ver. I know it has had problems, in common with so many other rivers.

I was going to vote for the Chess originally, before local loyalty made me go for the Ver. I really like the Chess, having done several walks that have followed sections of it and having walked the Chess Valley Walk from Chesham to Rickmansworth last year. I like the area around Chenies and Latimer especially. I don't know the Mimram so well, though I've come across it at Whitwell, near its source.

[ChrisJB]

Ooh, what a tough one. I am torn between four, the Ribble, the Wharfe, the Swale and the upper Tees. Very difficult, but the Ribble might just nick it.

Chris