Our Brooks

Bybrook, Colerne
Our Local Brooks

Our brooks are another special feature of this lovely Parish. However, concern about the health of our rivers is never far from the news these days. What can we do to protect our brooks and their habitat for wildlife?

 

Water pouring from our Village on the Hill after heavy storms puts strain on the sewage system which in turn can harm the local environment, including farmland and waterways. What might help slow the flow and reduce the potential for harm?

 

At the other end of the scale, summer droughts are becoming more common with Climate Change.

 

Further strain and harm is caused by the nitrates and phosphates which enter watercourses through fertilisers, manure, sewage, waste, urban surface run-off, and also from the use of household products such as washing detergents and chemical-filled cleaning products. Have a look at The Yellow Fish campaign for more information on the pollution that reaches our rivers, and how it gets there.

What we are doing
 

Taking part in the Bristol Avon RiverBlitz, an annual citizen science event run by Bristol Avon Riverside Trust which provides a snapshot of water quality and ecological health in the rivers and streams across the catchment.

 

See BART's RiverBlitz map - click on the highlighted waterways to see the nitrogen and phosphate concentration readings from previous years.

 

River-fly Monitoring, in partnership with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Many thanks to Saltbox Farm for facilitating. Our riverfly monitor goes out once a month to monitor the invertebrate communities in our Bybrook. Samples are taken and the numbers of eight key groups of invertebrates - including mayflies and freshwater shrimps - are counted and used to calculate a score. If the score drops below a threshold, it is very likely the river has been polluted and the Environment Agency is contacted so they can find and solve the problem. The data also feeds into a national database that is used to monitor the health of the rivers across the UK.

 

We are have been finding an encouraging number of species thriving in the Bybrook:

Can You Help?

Help with plans for a 'water aware' project in 2024

 

 We'd like to put together a “water aware” project next year:

 

  • Let us know your water concerns, and any ideas.

 

  • Can you help us get this project off the ground?

Help protect our brooks

  • Avoid disposing of chemicals, fats or oils down the sink, toilet or drain.

 

  • Wherever possible use envioronmentally-friendly detergents, soaps and cleaning products in and outside of your home.

 

  • Only flush the three P’s: pee, poop and toilet paper (not even paper hankies or paper towels - these products cause problems because they are designed to absorb water, not disolve in it).

 

  • Reduce your use of water wherever you can.

 

  • Don’t drop litter or fly tip because rubbish - no matter how small - can harm wildlife and lead to blockages in waterways.

 

  • Spread the word! 

'Yellow Fish campaign' poster