The latest report of the Rivers Trust classifies the ecology of the Yare as “moderate”. This is on a scale of High, Good, Moderate, Poor or Bad. A map shows the Yare to share this category with most of England’s rivers. Only 15% of rivers are rated as being in “good” ecological health.
River health is moderate. How healthy are these?
Ecological health is assessed by looking at the state of what is living in the river environment. “The presence, absence and abundance of species is a good indication of the general health of a river.”
There is no river in England rated as “good” for chemical health or for overall health.
The detailed State of Our Rivers Reportfor 2024 is an in-depth study of the condition of our rivers and suggestions solutions and actions for improving the health of our rivers.
YVS has already reported on the Norfolk Rivers Trust’s work at various points on the river in the valley to improve water quality by modifying river flow and to improve resilience of wetlands to drought by interconnected scrapes.
In recent years, and particularly since Covid, there has been a marked increase in public use of our green spaces, as evidenced by the increase in wear on the paths of the Valley, and the increase in the number of new paths. YVS is getting reports of a decline in wildlife in the Valley (e.g. disappearance of water voles) and the suspicion is that the wildlife of Norwich is becoming degraded as a consequence of greater human intrusion.
Worn and widening path at UEA
The good news is that some relief is on its way. The green space of Norwich is being extended with the addition of marshes that will be managed for a balance between wildlife and people. After much preparation, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT), is opening its new 36 hectare (90 acre) Norwich nature reserve, Sweet Briar Marshes.
An added attraction is that NWT have partnered with Norfolk and Norwich Festival, to create “On Our Doorsteps”, part of a nationwide project exploring the relationship between urban communities and the green spaces around us. You can view the newly commissioned temporary artworks from Friday 10 May-Sunday 9 June.
Following the success of previous Eco Fairs, St Andrew’s Eaton hosts again an Eco Fair:
The day will begin with an early morning birdwatching walk with Phil Atkinson along the River Yare – meet in Waitrose Car Park at 7am. The fair itself will be opened at 10 am by Rachel Sowerby, the Bishop of Norwich’s Environmental Research Officer and will be open until 2.00 pm. The day will end with an evening talk hosted by the Eaton Village Residents’ Association. Helen Baczkowska, Senior Manager Nature Recovery at Norfolk Wildlife Trust, will be speaking on ‘Bringing back Norfolk’s wildlife – what is happening and how you can help?’ Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.
Part of the Yare Valley Society display at the Fair explains why Eaton is well placed to be in the vanguard of the fightback to halt, and eventually reverse, biodiversity loss:
A panel from the YVS Eco Fair Display
Come along and support us and other environmentally friendly organisations at the Fair.
Walkers in the Yare Valley have experienced inconvenience with the present extended period of flooding there has been in the valley, but this is nothing compared with the devasting effect it can have on the valley ecosystem. The wildlife of the valley has experienced repeated flooding in the past, and so can be expected to have a degree of resilience in flood conditions, but the recent flooding has continued for an unusually long time. Flooding impacts on both flora and fauna, destroying habitats, drowning wildlife, and spreading disease. It also changes the balance of species to be seen in the valley.
No way for walkers Photo: Tim Hill
Tim Hill has been out and about on Marston Marsh, and reports on some of the ornithological changes:
“Much of the marsh has been under water for longer than is usual resulting in some new, or rare, wildfowl sightings and some common water birds appearing in larger numbers. In the middle of February black-headed gulls reached a peak number of about 50 along the western half of the river. In amongst them were 3 or 4 common gulls, several herring gulls and the first of the lesser black-backed gulls to arrive. The number of greylag geese gradually increased through February reaching 43 on the 28th of the month. The number has since decreased to single figures since then. This larger number also attracted a couple of Canada geese, a rare sight here. There have been up to three Egyptian geese, with a lone goose staying very close to the boardwalk most of the time. Opposite the seat by the river, at the western end, two oystercatchers have been a regular feature since 17th of February into March. In the same area teal and gadwall have also been seen. On 18th of February there was a single wigeon, on the flood, north of the rail crossing onto the south side of the river. This is the first I have seen here. On the 21st of February there were 3 tufted ducks, on the flooded area, to the south of the stile along Marston Lane. This is also a new species for my marsh list. Three gadwall appeared there a few days later. Little grebes have been heard calling, regularly throughout February, from the flooded areas north of the river and close to the lane. The number of little egrets has peaked at 5.
Waterbirds welcome Photo: Tim Hill
Bullfinches have returned to the blackthorn bushes to the west of the stile and a stonechat has reappeared to the west of the outflow by the swings. There has been a vocal water rail in the ditch alongside Marston Lane, about halfway between the entrance to the marsh from Abinger Way and the stile. Stock doves have been regularly seen on or around the owl box but may be competing with grey squirrels for its occupancy. At the beginning of March there were about 50 siskins in the trees around the bridge at the east end. Redwings have been around in small numbers, but I have not seen a fieldfare here this year.”
Spring is in the air (“boing”, said Zebedee) so it’s time to get our tree planting finished (at Sprowston, Hingham and Horsford, where ‘urricanes ‘ardly ever ‘appen) and then we move on to pastures new. Well, strictly speaking it’s meadows new as we will be planting new wildflower meadows* at two sites in central Norwich. We will also move from cutting willow at East Ruston to teasing out little gorse seedlings from the young heather. There’s also a new woodland path to make, the first steps towards an exciting new network linking miles of little open spaces into an exciting green corridor for everyone to enjoy exploring.
And before you know it, it will be Easter, after which tasks will resume again, so that you can burn off all those extra calories from crème eggs.
PS: Incredibly geeky point, but officially a pasture is grazed, whereas a meadow is cut for hay. You learn something new every day, even if you don’t want to!
The new residents currently moving in to properties of the McCarthy Stone phase 2 development on Bluebell Road could expect to have the benefit of a landscaped Green Open Space along the whole length of the southwest edge of the McCarthy Stone site. The Green Open Space would have included meadowland, a pond, and groups of planted parkland trees. Paths would have passed through the green space to link the new estate with the Strawberry Field and to the paths down to the river and the Yare Valley Walk. The plans are here.
A view to parkland trees and wildflower meadows?A surfaced path should continue to meadowland and the river
The creation of this landscaped Green Open Space is important. UK biodiversity is in serious decline and the green space is intended to compensate, in part, for the biodiversity loss resulting from the built part of the development. It is also important to meet the needs of a growing number of residents in close proximity to the Yare Valley. Pressure of use on the existing green space threatens to be unsustainable. Any additional green open space in the Yare Valley would help ease the pressure of public use on other parts of the Valley.
A green open space?Site of footpath link to Strawberry Field
The Yare Valley Society submitted a detailed report with photographs to Norwich Planning Authority on the present situation.
The Authority acted swiftly. It contacted the developers and a timescale has emerged for when the work can be expected to be done. It reports:
“[The contractors] have been trying to complete the footpath works along the river … though this has been held up by flooding and that they are also needing to undo damage caused by the flooding. They plan to move onto the Open Space land … once the riverbank works are done though they may start sooner if those works can’t as yet be completed. They think they have 5 days work left on the riverbank and that the Open Space works will take about 2 to 3 weeks. They are hoping the Open Space works should be complete by the end of March.”
The Society will closely monitor progress, both on the landscaping, and also on other environmental benefits that were promised when the development was approved.
Fallen trees have blocked two of the paths from Bluebell Road to the riverside path. One path is via the Strawberry Field and the other alongside the Cringleford Flyover embankment. YVS enquired with the Norwich Fringe as to the landowners who might be responsible for clearing the blockages. Following the enquiry, the NFP contacted the landowner directly, and the landowner has undertaken to clear the blockage on the path from the Strawberry Field to the river.
Highway tree. Photo: Rachel Hore
It is possible to find a way round the Strawberry Field path, but the other path is blocked for all but the most intrepid. The situation is a little less straightforward for this path because the blocking tree has fallen from the highway’s embankment, and so the Norfolk County Council’s Highways Authority is responsible for clearing it. The landowner is reporting the blockage to the Authority. Hopefully the Authority will also reinstate the fence.
Norwich has two “chalk streams” the rivers Yare and Wensum. Chalk streams and their associated ecology are very rare globally. In spite of some statutory environmental protections being in place, not infrequently there is a need for groups drawn from the general public to support and reinforce these protections.
For both rivers there is the Norfolk Rivers Trust. Its mission is to restore, protect and enhance the water environments of Norfolk for people and wildlife.
The Yare has the Yare Valley Society. It seeks to promote the enhancement of the river valley for wildlife and informal recreation from Bawburgh to Whitlingham Country Park.
The Wensum too has people who are prepared to act to avoid damage to its ecology. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust, supported by Aviv in a public appeal for funds, raised money to enable them to purchase the Sweet Briar Marshes beside the Wensum in Norwich. The Trust is in process of seeing through a plan to improve the marshes’ ecology and also to provide some public access.
More recently the single-issue group “Stop the Wensum Link” has drawn attention to the threat the proposed Norwich Western Link presents to the ecology of the Wensum. The latest stage of their campaign is a “Great Big March”:
It is encouraging for all who care for the environment that so many ordinary people, and some extraordinary people, are now backing groups that are attempting to reverse, or at least to halt, the present decline in the ecology of the UK.
