On the 4th October we convened a meeting with MPs in the Wye catchment. It was fantastic to see four MPs, from four different parties, willing to collaborate for the cause of clean water and restoring our rivers. 

We are deeply concerned that the Environment Agency has granted an environmental permit to a controversial proposed Anaerobic Digester in the Wye catchment that doesn't yet have planning permission. We call on the EA to explain why it has issued a permit and questioning its process and whether it has conducted the appropriate assessments necessary to safeguard the environment. 

Last week we had the opportunity to meet with the Chair of the Environment Agency, Alan Lovell, and some of his senior staff to discuss how citizen scientists could better collaborate with the agency to prevent pollution.

Drewe Lacey and his daughter Harriet will be embarking on an expedition to complete the entirety of the Wye Valley Walk across 10 days in September to raise funds for Friends of the River Wye and GIST CancerUK.

Friends of the River Wye (FORW) is inviting applications for the role of Citizen Science Volunteer Support Officer, a pivotal position focused on supporting our mission to return the Wye and its tributaries to ecological health. If you are passionate about environmental conservation and community engagement, join FORW in making a tangible impact on the health of our cherished river ecosystems. Applications close 26th August.

After the Warren at Hay-on-Wye was declared the first Welsh inland bathing water in June, Powys Council this morning erected signs advising the public not to swim at the historic swimming area due to high levels of bacteria being detected.

Friends of the River Wye is delighted by the Welsh government’s decision to award bathing status to the Warren outside Hay-on-Wye. The government’s regulator, Natural Resources Wales, will now be obliged to monitor water quality at the Warren between May and September, to publish the results, and to take steps to improve that quality if it is poor.

With a general election due on 4th July and in light of Defra’s failure to provide a meaningful plan for the Wye, Friends of the River Wye and its allies are calling on all political parties to adopt a meaningful, cross border approach to bringing our river back from the brink of ecological destruction.

Despite marginal improvements, Defra’s River Wye Action Plan lacks scope and ambition. Sadly this plan falls far short of what is needed to restore the Wye, which is especially disappointing after such a long wait. Incredibly, this plan only seems to cover England, not Wales. Where is the cross-border plan for the whole river that everyone has long called for?