Tower and Town, April 2016 (view the full edition)England's Chalk StreamsThe rare and precious environments that are England's chalk streams. Chalk streams are very simply streams that run through chalk hills. They rely on rain water in winter that soaks down through the soil into chalk aquifers which act like sponges and release the water through the year. Typically, chalk streams are wide and shallow. Due to the filtering effect of the chalk they are almost crystal clear and slightly alkaline. There are only 210 chalk streams in the world; 160 of which lie in England. In Marlborough we are lucky enough to have one, the River Kennet. Because chalk streams are different from normal streams they offer different characteristics and therefore support special wildlife. Other main chalk streams also include the Avon, the Itchen and the Test. 
Many people still view these chalk streams as simply normal rivers but this in fact is how they are damaged. Over 77% of chalk streams are failing to meet the status of the Water Framework Directive. Only 21 out of 224 are protected. Many towns including Marlborough are supplied by water from the river Kennet and abstracting water out of the rivers is a constant problem. In the past it has left lower regions of the Kennet with very low water or sometimes even no water, as in the winter of 2012. In other parts of England, though, rivers such as the River Beane have dried up completely in the last decade due to over-extraction. As the rivers are replenished via springs it is harder for the river to refill further downstream. Diffuse pollution coming from farms can pose a threat to the natural clear and alkaline chalk streams. Like an endangered species these rivers should be protected and put back into their original condition. So how can we get our chalk streams to be healthy again? The World Wildlife Fund thinks that these key points will lead to every Chalk Stream running healthily:
Oscar Waters |