Planting Water crowfoot in Westerham Darent May 2021
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Mark Gallant (centre) from the North West Kent Countryside Partnership, invited volunteers to join him in Westerham to plant water crowfoot which had been harvested from downstream in Shoreham. The same team had coppiced hazel on this stretch of river a year earlier, as part of the "Relighting the River" project.
Water crowfoot ( Ranunculus) is a vital part of the chalk river ecosystem, but unfortunately it is completely absent from the River Darent in Westerham. The Darent Trout Fishers had kindly harvested bags of it it as part of their annual management of their beat at Preston Farm where it is abundant. By introducing it in areas of the river where it no longer present it should find its way downstream. Water crowfoot reproduces vegetatively (from little aerial roots from the nodes) so there is no need to plant it in the traditional sense. We simply take the large strands of Ranunuculus and secure it under rocks and allow the plant to take root into the river's substrate. By reintroducing water crowfoot to the Upper Darent NWKCP hopes to improve the river ecology and create a sustainable nursery to ensure that there is a source of the plant for areas downstream. |
William Alexander, President of DRiPS, to audience at DRiPS AGM 24 October 2019
There are just 210 chalk streams to be found anywhere in the world. 160 of them are in England, mostly in southern and eastern counties but extending as far as north Yorkshire.
These softly flowing rivers are entwined with our identity having coursed through our heritage, providing hydro power to cornmills, water nutrition to cress beds, fish for our forebears' rods & dinner tables and riverine wildlife habitats.
Today our chalk streams and their aquifers provide us with rather different benefits, by providing valuable recreational opportunities, ecologically rare habitats and a source of pure drinking water. There are many threats to all chalk streams, most linked to increased people pressures. Our River Darent is not alone or unique in needing careful and sensitive management to sustain appropriate water flows and positive aquatic health.
During this evening’s AGM you will learn just why DRiPS and you continue to have an important role to play in securing the long term future of a silver thread, which courses from Westerham to the Thames.
There are just 210 chalk streams to be found anywhere in the world. 160 of them are in England, mostly in southern and eastern counties but extending as far as north Yorkshire.
These softly flowing rivers are entwined with our identity having coursed through our heritage, providing hydro power to cornmills, water nutrition to cress beds, fish for our forebears' rods & dinner tables and riverine wildlife habitats.
Today our chalk streams and their aquifers provide us with rather different benefits, by providing valuable recreational opportunities, ecologically rare habitats and a source of pure drinking water. There are many threats to all chalk streams, most linked to increased people pressures. Our River Darent is not alone or unique in needing careful and sensitive management to sustain appropriate water flows and positive aquatic health.
During this evening’s AGM you will learn just why DRiPS and you continue to have an important role to play in securing the long term future of a silver thread, which courses from Westerham to the Thames.
Steve Crowley, 12 October 2019
One of the sixth formers I took on a Darent field trip last week brought a copy of an article from the Daily Mail by Fergal Sharkey which had a double page spread about the rivers that are disappearing in southern England. She is using it as a resource for her I.B. Internal Assessment in Geography.
As an aside, we took a picture of the seven inch Signal Crayfish I lifted at Brasted (and then disposed of), the presence of which should worry everyone. I had just given a talk about invasives, stepped into the river and ‘bingo!’ there it was. The perfect visual aid.
I am pretty good at spotting fish in rivers - years of angling experience. I didn’t see a fish anywhere on that length. That should also be a concern - even more so as I saw very few on the ten sites we visited that day, and only then near structures with lots of human activity nearby. The Darent appears to me to be in trouble. I may be wrong of course, but to investigate as should be done, it needs a full EA fishery survey.
Like most anglers who fish rivers - no, not most, how would I know that? - just a few that I know - we have places which serve as guides to the health of the stream.
On the Medway, it is the sewage farm at Penshurst - as long as people catch a few Barbel there, it is ‘happy days.'
On the Stour, it’s Canterbury at the Millers Arms, and the weir pool there full of Dace.
Similarly, on the Darent.
Downstream of Franks Lane, I have had some good catches in years gone by from this pool, and whenever I walk the river I stop and spend time looking. I did not see a fish. Not one of the dozen or so Chub of 1-2 pounds that a quiet look through polarised sunglasses usually reveals.
No minnows? Really? Did I just miss them? Where are they?. Perhaps they are just not there - have they been removed - mink?
Anyway, whatever is the case, this is just one of the spots on the river where I saw naff all, and that with a gin-clear stream, no human disturbance, and bright conditions.
One of the sixth formers I took on a Darent field trip last week brought a copy of an article from the Daily Mail by Fergal Sharkey which had a double page spread about the rivers that are disappearing in southern England. She is using it as a resource for her I.B. Internal Assessment in Geography.
As an aside, we took a picture of the seven inch Signal Crayfish I lifted at Brasted (and then disposed of), the presence of which should worry everyone. I had just given a talk about invasives, stepped into the river and ‘bingo!’ there it was. The perfect visual aid.
I am pretty good at spotting fish in rivers - years of angling experience. I didn’t see a fish anywhere on that length. That should also be a concern - even more so as I saw very few on the ten sites we visited that day, and only then near structures with lots of human activity nearby. The Darent appears to me to be in trouble. I may be wrong of course, but to investigate as should be done, it needs a full EA fishery survey.
Like most anglers who fish rivers - no, not most, how would I know that? - just a few that I know - we have places which serve as guides to the health of the stream.
On the Medway, it is the sewage farm at Penshurst - as long as people catch a few Barbel there, it is ‘happy days.'
On the Stour, it’s Canterbury at the Millers Arms, and the weir pool there full of Dace.
Similarly, on the Darent.
Downstream of Franks Lane, I have had some good catches in years gone by from this pool, and whenever I walk the river I stop and spend time looking. I did not see a fish. Not one of the dozen or so Chub of 1-2 pounds that a quiet look through polarised sunglasses usually reveals.
No minnows? Really? Did I just miss them? Where are they?. Perhaps they are just not there - have they been removed - mink?
Anyway, whatever is the case, this is just one of the spots on the river where I saw naff all, and that with a gin-clear stream, no human disturbance, and bright conditions.
MAY 2019: WORKPARTY at SUDRIDGE
JUNE 2018: Himalayan Balsam at South Darenth
Our tropical summer was well underway by the end of June when nine keen volunteers, under the guidance of Mark Gallant, North West Kent Countryside Partnership, tackled a clearing operation on the banks of the Darent in South Darenth. The problem of invasive Himalayan Balsam plagues many rivers in the UK and two areas were cleared that day. It’s great to find volunteers prepared to give up a few hours for such vital work. The local working group in Horton Kirby and South Darenth intend to meet again in the near future. Many thanks to you all. Malcolm Dunn
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DRIPS AGM 2018 At Castle Hotel Eynsford. Download NEWSFLOW here. Minutes can be viewed here.
DRIPS AGM 2017 Visit to the river at Acacia Hall, Dartford, led by Chris Gardner. Meeting at Dart Pub. Minutes can be viewed here
DRiPS AGM 2016: Visit to new fish bypass channel at Sundridge, led by Chris Gardner (SERT), Mike Gallant (NWKCP) and Peter Waring (EA) followed by AGM at the White Horse Inn.
DRiPS AGM 2014: Bella Davies of SERT gave a presentation "Restoring the Resilience of our Rivers" which can be downloaded here.
To download the Summer 2014 edition of NEWSFLOW, click here.
To download the Chairman's report for 2014, click here.
