When a river can't breathe

The scenes of dead fish on the River Wensum and elsewhere in Norfolk over recent weeks have been awful to see. Yes, the immediate cause is low oxygen levels after a hot summer and very little rain - but the deeper truth is that our rivers are in trouble. What we’re seeing is the result of long-term damage, and it’s a warning we can’t ignore.

Across Norfolk, almost every corner has been drained over the past few centuries. Rainwater that was once held in soils, wetlands and pools, slowly trickling into the river throughout the year, now rushes downstream and straight out of river catchments. Our rivers have lost the natural water filters and steady summer water supplies that used to see them through long, dry periods.

The River Wensum is a clear example of this wider problem. It is also fragmented by dams and weirs, which prevent water from flowing freely and lead to stagnation and overheating. This is made worse by the loss of tree cover that once shaded and cooled the river. When too much water is taken from a river already under pressure, and pollution and high temperatures build, fish deaths - and the deaths of countless unseen invertebrates - sadly become inevitable.

The good news is that these problems can be fixed. We can restore floodplains and wetlands, so the river has a constant supply of clean water. We can reduce pollution and stop taking more water than the river can spare. And we can bring back wilder, thriving, more diverse habitats that make the river more resilient again.

Summers like this are becoming normal. We don’t have long to turn things around. But we can rebuild a River Wensum that can withstand climate change and human pressure - it requires a lot of work, and we need to do it now.

If you can, please donate to support our work in building more resilient rivers and wetlands.