Campaigners in Surrey have called on the Government to take action over the Wey and Thames rivers, ahead of the publication of controversial plans for the UK’s waterways.
A report earlier this year revealed 75 per cent of rivers in England and Wales were failing European targets on environmental quality and further action should be taken to tackle problems such as pollution, which threatens river wildlife.
The Our Rivers campaign was set up to encourage those who care about their local rivers to gain a better understanding of the situation.
RSPB conservation director Mark Avery said: “The problems are plain to see.
"Pollution is killing fish and causing algae and weed to choke our waterways, river beds are drying up and invasive species like signal crayfish are destroying riverbank ecosystems.
“These plans are supposed to provide a blueprint for bringing the standard of our rivers up to an acceptable level, but there is so much vital information missing. It’s difficult to have confidence in them.”
All rivers adopted by supporters appeared on a map which was handed over to the environment minister Huw Irranca-Davis last week to try to persuade last minute improvements.
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