See here the latest from WUF.   I sometime wonder and marvel at who writes this stuff.
They now seem to acknowledge that ;'redd washout is a 'recorded phenomenon'.  No its not its a regular occurrence when major spates take place especially in big prolonged spates and on steep gradient tributaries.   I wonder if anyone actually goes out and witnesses this or even knows where to look.  I and others have seen in happen many times.  Likewise when redds are laid during periods of high water its often at the edge of stream where depth and flow is suitable. When rivers then drop away under a long cold spell these redds are often left high and dry.  To suggest redd washout only takes place 'when there is gravel in the fields' is just not just plain wrong wrong its a damn lie.   No doubt some of the tributaries will not be as badly affected, though Ithon and Irfon certainly where, the main stem always had a big proportion of spawning fish, most noticeably the springers on the upper river.  Someone needs to get out there rather than sitting in the office seeking further funding streams
 As for the regulated flow regime, did anyone notice anything different downstream of about Newbridge.  I don't think so but there again nothing thats done by WUF ever not works does it.

Whilst water run off from land is an issue,  why are farmers not charged for clearing it up, its a minor issue when when compared to the amount of natural erosion that takes place during a big spate.  Quick enough to say that any discharges from sewage works or the like are diluted by high flows but of course with, I suspect, some funding to tackle erosion issues its high on the agenda of ' must do' in WUFs financial plan.
Anyone actually seen a redd yet anywhere on the main stem between the Elan and the sea. Still no gravel in the Elan either I hear though I stand corrected if untrue.  No redds of any consequence there either then!!

Good to see someone might at last be trying to tackle the regular discharges of various type of 'crap' from our sewage works See the following item.  Always amazed me that when trying to improve a rivers water quality tese discharges always appeared to be the one no one wanted to tackle yet how much worse is this than muddy water.  Not sure there will be much sediment in Wye gravels after this spate eventually goes down and not much credibility in certain quarters either.




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WUF UPDATE 7th January 2016: Rainfall Happy New Year! Inevitably, the topic of discussion is rainfall and there will be concerns about what effect the recent heavy precipitation will have had on our rivers. First the stats: until mid November, just 18" had fallen here at Llanstephan; by New Year's Eve this was 28". Even so, looking down at the footer you can see this was the driest year in the last five. Not surprisingly, it's extremes we should be worried about. The drought was, we thought, managed much better with the changes in regulation flows. However, the reservoirs took no time at all to recharge as there was still plenty kept in reserve but this meant there was little capacity to buffer what came next. So what damage can high flows bring to rivers and fish? One perceived concern is that salmon and trout redds get washed out. Redd washout is a recorded phenomenon but it does take an extreme flood that leaves banks of gravel in the fields for this to occur (eg: Selkirk 1977, Derwent) and it is rare for a flood to be so extreme across a whole catchment. On rivers dominated by main river spawning this is a serious risk: for example, the Wester Ross Carron. The Usk and Wye rely extensively on their tributaries and the risk of wholesale wash-out is of a much lower order. Our coarse species are not affected too badly either. Sight feeders such as pike may suffer in prolonged coloured water but barbel and chub will keep feeding in the higher temperatures and tuck under the banks in the higher flows. Predation may be an issue, however, if the rivers burst their banks and fish end up in fields. Soil loss is a more problematic issue. The top photo shows one example of a recently cultivated field. The recent rain has washed across the field cutting a channel, leading to massive soil loss. The soil and water has then blocked the road drain and flooded the road. Powys CC crews have had to come out three times this year to keep it clear. They do so by channelling the run off into an important SAC designated spawning stream turning it a violent red! Avoidable soil loss like this is happening all across the catchment and will damage redds. This brings me to the coloured map. This is an output of 'Scimap', one of our most useful modelling tools as it accurately predicts the likelihood of overland flow if the land is not protected. Bare soil in the red stripe area (the highest risk) is a recipe for disaster. Highlighted in the black circle is the problem area and you can see the red flow line down which the run-off came. The adjacent fields on the left appear to be a even high risk but because these are in grass or well established corn, they are not eroding and the water running off was quite clear. So we can say this problem was entirely predictable. As this is erosion of more than 1ha it would be a breach of cross-compliance in England, but in Wales the rules are less clear and is seems it is not a breach as a crop has been planted. The question is this acceptable? At the moment massive soil loss going straight onto a trunk road and them into an SAC appears OK to the authorities. As a ratepayer, I feel my contribution could be better spent, so essentially we want to hear what you think should be done especially if there is no enforcement action available. This almost bare field is discharging across the road causing soil to enter the nearby SAC stream Powys roads staff clearing up for the third time Scimap shows the risk if there is no crop to protect soils. The area in question is circled. The white area running right to left is the Llynfi Dulas; the line is the A470 If you see soil going into a road drain or directly into river please report to us and we can try and work with the farmer to eliminate the problem, or call NRW or EA 0800 80 70 60. It is worth having a look at the new Cross Compliance rules for England here and Wales here. ......GAEC 5 covers soil loss. Breaches can be reported to: Rural Payments Wales: rpwonline@wales.gsi.gov.uk, 0300 062 5004 or Rural Payments England 0300200301 ruralpayments@defra.gsi.gov.uk better still to EA (0800 807060) as there is a project in the Wye catchment to investigate soil loss. In all cases photos and grid references are very useful. _______________________________________ The trout and salmon season will soon be upon us. With a good spawning year in 2011 there is everything to hope for with the salmon. WUF is marketing a number of fisheries that have season rods available. Please contact Allyson or see details here. There are still some wild stream season tickets available - a bargain at £80 for a single; £120 for a double; details here. The booking office is now open for daily lets. _________________________________________ Late News: We are very sorry to report that one of our three founding trustees, Major General Hopkinson of Bigsweir, died earlier this week. "Hoppy" was a powerful force for the good of Wye Salmon and worked tirelessly here and through the Atlantic Salmon Trust to save the species. He will be sorely missed. All the best from WUF. Details of our Projects can be found here. Click here for anglers' reports and here for monthly fishing reports. For details of WUF's Consultations, Click here. EA & NRW Emergency Hotline: 0800 80 70 60    Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water Emergency Sewage Line: 0800 085 3968 Rainfall at Llanstephan 2016 to date: 3.5" ('15: 28", '14: 54", '13: 39", '12: 47", '11: 29") Bookings and availability Tel: 01874 712 074 This email was sent by The Wye & Usk Foundation.

Water Companies Fail to Co-operate over Sewage

By Editor 20 minutes ago

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The Environment Agency is unable to properly regulate 1,968 sewage outfalls

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that water companies are not providing discharge data on many sewage outfalls.

Source: Angling Trust

The Environment Agency is unable to properly regulate 1,968 sewage outfalls because water companies are failing to provide information to them about exactly what is coming out of these pipes, a freedom of information request by the Angling Trust and Fish Legal has uncovered.


Several thousand outfalls were given ‘temporary’ deemed consents at the time of privatisation of the water industry in 1989 because there were no legal permits for these discharges at all. The Environment Agency is now trying to draw up bespoke environmental permits so that they can take enforcement action against water companies in the event that discharges from the remaining poorly-regulated sewage outfalls pollute rivers, lakes or coastal waters.


However, in order to draft modern permits which will help them meet water quality standards, the Environment Agency require information from water companies concerning the frequency and content of their discharges.


The information received shows a very patchy response from the water companies with some, such as Anglian Water, United Utilities and Yorkshire Water, not having made much progress at all, whilst Wessex Water and South West Water have made the most progress. The delay in progress is because companies have repeatedly failed to provide the information required by the Environment Agency.


The water companies have been given a deadline by the Environment Agency of the end of January 2016 to provide full information about these discharges. If they fail to meet the deadline, the Angling Trust and Fish Legal plan to use their newly secured right to request environmental information directly from the water companies to find out exactly how much raw sewage is being discharged from the remaining 1,968 sewage outfalls and how regularly.


Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust & Fish Legal, said:

“We will be watching closely to see if any companies fail to meet the Agency’s January deadline. It is simply unacceptable that these huge companies have failed to provide the necessary information a quarter of a century after these supposedly temporary consents were granted by Parliament.

Anglers, swimmers and watersports enthusiasts have a right to know what is polluting their waters and we expect the Environment Agency to be regulating the industry properly.”