England's Chalk Streams Under Threat

CARSHALTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: A brown rat swims in the river Wandle near the rivers source at Carshalton Ponds, on August 24, 2020 in Carshalton, England. The river Wandle is a tributary of the river Thames running north for around 14 km through Croydon, Sutton, Merton before meeting the Thames in Wandsworth. The river was heavily industrialised in the 18th and 19th centuries with around 90 mills along its length and was thought to be the most heavily polluted river in England. Admiral Lord Nelson who lived at Merton Place between 1801 and 1805 fished the river. Of the world’s 224 chalk streams, 161 are in England. These rare waterways, formed by springs in chalk bedrock, are often compared to rainforests in terms of their ecological importance, creating rich habitats for otter, kingfishers, trout, water vole and a wide range of plants like water-crowfoot and flag iris. As with rainforests, environmental groups consider them in a state of crisis, endangered by development, agricultural practices, a rise on non-native species, over-abstraction and climate change. In the UK, a few of chalk streams do enjoy special protections, such as the Itchen, the Avon, and the Lambourn, which are designated as international Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). A further eight are designated as nationally important Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Many, however, have dried up along large sections, or completely. Conservationists worry that proposed changes to laws governing the cleanliness of UK rivers – changes made possible by Brexit and the departure from the EU’s water framework directive – will further threaten remaining chalk streams. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)