Turning point for the Rother?

I was delighted to be invited to the Rother Summit, organised by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) which took place at the end of November. The day brought together many interested parties, all involved with the River Rother in one way or another. A few of those attending were interviewed during the course of the day allowing you to hear about their roles with the river here.

It is hoped that this event will form a turning point for the fortunes of the River Rother. Currently many smaller, uncoordinated projects are happening at various places along the river, but this initiative will bring all such efforts together, giving an overarching lead on such work. Initially this is being planned as a two-year project with the SDNPA, Arun and Rother Rivers Trust (AART), Southern Water and the South Downs Trust forming a steering group to head up the project.

It is too early to really know where this initiative is going to take the River Rother but it was a fascinating day hearing from so many interested parties, not all always in agreement with each other, but all wanting to work for a healthier happier river.

It was a conversation with someone from Southern Water at this event that led to our recent visit to the Wastewater Treatment Works in Petersfield. Additionally, the Rother Summit provided an opportunity to talk again with Angela Ward the SDNPA Ranger for the River Rother who, amongst other things, will be co-ordinating work parties later this year to tackle the Himalayan Balsam issue along the river. Also present was Aimee Felus from ARRT who has since offered to give a talk to ERA about how we can all help to improve the health of the Rother.

Alongside all that, ARRT is also making good headway with their plans to develop and maintain a citizen science led water quality project for the whole Rother/Arun river catchment. Several ERA river surveyors attended one of the ARRT workshops at which the project was outlined to us and we have subsequently been provided with survey kits. Barry and I are carrying out duplicate surveys for three months so as to be able to properly compare the Freshwater Watch surveys that ERA has been doing for some 22 months now and the new ARRT ones. ERA is also investigating ways in which we could  be investigating bacterial content in the river water, but in a cost effective way. We have been authorised to train ERA surveyors who were unable to attend the workshops and that training is all in progress.

Each ARRT surveying kit is worth around £120, and we will be needing at least 6 kits. These are being provided free of charge but come with a carefully worded request that if anyone would like to make a donation towards those costs, such donations would be gratefully received. If any of you reading this would like to support this work with a donation then please let me know or contact ARRT directly.

Others of you may wish to become a river surveyor or be able to help with pulling Himalayan Balsam (mostly June/July). If so, we would be very pleased to hear from you! Likewise, if you are ever out and about and spot something about the river that does not look right then please do let us know as quickly as possible.