Last year was a disaster for the staging of river based rowing events. Successive waves of flooding hampered training and led to the cancellation of dozens of events. And flood waters washed debris from river banks into the waterways. Then we have the water companies discharging high levels of sewage into our rivers.
The effects of raw sewage entering our rivers has been well documented and raised at government level. But everybody seems to be ignoring the fact that lots of other items, for example, wet wipes are still being flushed down our toilets and are ending up in our rivers.
Getting back onto the water after event cancellations, we were saddened to see lots of plastic bags and wrappers snagged into the overhanging branches. These were accompanied by large volumes of wet wipes dangling from the branches. Add to this the numerous footballs, empty drinks containers, bread wrappers discarded by those feeding the birds and last week we even came across a fridge that someone had tossed into the river. It was bobbing its way downstream.
Every flood makes our riverbanks look a mess. It’s all down to people who think it’s just one item, it’s not going to make that much difference. If everyone in our nation all took this stance then our rivers would become an unnavigable stinking cesspit.
As regular river users, let’s lead by example. At my own club, we contacted our local council, explained what the riverbanks looked like from the water and asked for the loan of litter picking equipment. We were provided with protective gloves, hi viz vests, long handled grabbers and plastic bags. We contacted local small boat owners, SUP users (stand up paddleboards) and kayak owners for assistance and came up trumps. Plus, we had parents litter picking along the riverbank. The first 1.5km of our river is now looking vibrant and healthy, with another clean up event planned shortly for the next stretch.
If your club can organise a litter pick, you should find your local council will support you. Get the local press involved so that the local community sees what value we all add to our communities. Maybe you might pick up extra sponsorships for your regattas?
We all need healthy rivers – humans and wildlife. Let’s get the message across loud and clear:
Use a bin not the river ** Stop flushing wet wipes**
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