Last year the River Wye – which flows 130 miles from Mid Wales into the Severn Estuary – was dotted with algal blooms that stretched for up to 100 miles. It turned the water a putrid green and looked like “pea or onion soup,” according to the Wye and Usk Foundation.
But the damage is not only ecological. In summer, when the flowering is at its worst, tourists are discouraged from activities such as canoeing.
Rob Finley, owner of Ultimate Canoe & Kayak, says, “It just looks like the river is dying. When people drink water during our activities, we tell them to drink a carbonated drink or alcohol to kill the bacteria or they could get sick. “
Kristian Vaughan-Adkins, manager of the community shop in Brockweir, a picturesque village on the Wye in Gloucestershire, says: “The water sometimes smells strongly of sewage. Sometimes you can also see rubbish floating around in it, for example hygiene items, so nobody wants to swim in them anymore. “
In Wye, a recent Lancaster University study concluded that chicken litter is the main source of pollution.
This by-product has long been used by farmers to fertilize crops, but indiscriminate use over long periods of time has resulted in the soil becoming overly saturated with certain nutrients, such as phosphates, that end up in the river.
Now, growing concerns about algal blooms, as well as tough crackdowns by regulators, has led to a major rethink of methods and practices.
Farms are now required to have nutrient management plans in place, and many are also using state-of-the-art soil sampling tools and GPS to ensure that phosphates are only applied to areas that are not already in surplus.
Avara Foods, one of the poultry producers in the region, is looking for new ways to recycle chicken manure for energy or to remove the phosphates.
The company says it acknowledges “having a role in tackling the River Wye’s problems” and adds that “the improper use of land-based chicken litter is having an impact”.
A spokesperson added, “Given that phosphate is found in a wide variety of wastes – human, animal and industrial – the issues of the Wye are being addressed by interested parties who use data and work together to ensure solutions are found . “
Noble Foods, the maker of Happy Eggs, which is also active in the area, is also involved in the discussions: “We are firmly convinced that protecting the environment is very important. Although we represent a small percentage of the poultry population in the Wye & Usk area, we have worked on thorough risk assessments, training and action plans for the small number of farms in the area. “
It is hoped that some of the techniques being tried out in the Wye will eventually be used across the country.