Welcome to the website of the Thames Rivers Restoration Trust
REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 295138
Thank you for visiting our website. The ethos of
the Thames Rivers Restoration Trust and our case for your financial
support is summarised in three questions – What’s
the problem? What is our Vision? And what might it look like when
the Thames river basin has been restored to health? We hope these
are helpful thoughts.
What's the problem? Take the upper River Kennet for example. For
many people they do not necessarily see that there is any problem. The
river still has water in it in most places, most of the time. There are
fish in the river; there are ducks and geese and kingfishers. By and
large the river looks attractive.
If we are really to tackle the problem we need to explain that the
river is deteriorating, both
visually and physically.
The symptoms of the deterioration can be described in three areas:
- the degradation of the visual appeal (debris/bank erosion/turbidity);
- the decline of the water quality (nitrates/phosphates/turbidity); and
- the reduction in flow.
It is important that the problem is seen not to be purely superficial(visual)
but related to quality and flow. First because improving these areas
is essential to restoring flora and fauna and secondly, because addressing
these problems inures to the benefit of all interested parties: the
restoration of the visual amenity of the river is by definition restricted
principally to those who live near it and see it regularly. If this is
right it is important that education is part of our task since many will
be unaware of the degradation beneath the surface.
What's the vision?
Our goal is to:
- improve the visual appeal;
- improve the water quality; and
- improve the flow.
How will we judge success?
As a charity, working with others, we are still to define our medium
and longer term success factors, but we certainly desire to see major
improvement over time, and these examples may form measuring criteria
for you as a donor or partner with us, to assess achievement. The trustees
certainly commit themselves to working towards these and other demanding
goals.
- visual restoration: sedge warblers,/reed warblers/cettis warblers/water vole population growth;
- water quality improvement: number of native trout or other indicators;
- water flow: yardage of ranunculus.
It might be a lengthy journey, but we are on the way!.
