What it REALLY means…
It’s All About The Flow is not just a tag line for The Canoe River Cleaner, it’s also the ethos behind the importance of a healthy river environment.
The tag line was born when an inquisitive passer by asked why I was managing the algae.
“It’s all about the flow” I instinctively told him as I used my adapted paddle to cut back the reeds in the centre of the river. “Sending it along to help the river to eddy and flow naturally, allowing for certain fish to swim up and downstream to spawn as required.” – And from that moment on, the instinctive, off the cuff phrase kind of stuck with me.
What really happens in the flow…
The reeds flourish in warmer months often growing in the centre of the river acting as anchor points for algae.
The algae inevitably builds up causing a bloom which stretches from bank to bank.
This bloom of algae in turn reduces the light level underneath which disrupts the habitat of our bottom of the food chain species.
These dead zones also prevent oxygen from being absorbed by plants and organisms. Invertebrates and even fish can suffocate because of this. The problem can also be exacerbated by the algae clinging onto food debris and branches causing them to decompose and using even more vital oxygen required for the fragile ecosystem of a river.
Our river, fed from springs in the Lincolnshire Wolds, and the winding chalk bed of Laceby Beck, slowly but surely straightens, becoming canal like as it gets closer to the town centre. It’s important that these straighter parts, which can often become slower, are free of debris and algae which reduce flow.
Optimum health is achieved when a river can move, breath, and give birth to oxygenating plants.
It’s all about keeping things moving… It’s all about the flow.
Why it’s important to care…
Chalk streams are rare and special rivers that are only found in Southern & Eastern England and a few parts of France. Infact, 85% of the world’s chalk streams are in England, and we are very lucky to have the chalk stream fed river Freshney on our doorstep.
They are a fed by groundwater from a chalk geology and naturally have stable flows and temperatures.
Chalk streams provide the perfect habitat for iconic species like otters, voles, shrews, herons, kingfishers and many other birds.
Below the surface you can find aquatic invertebrates such as freshwater shrimps, mayfly nymphs, caddis, snails and crayfish. Less common fish such as trout, dace, bullhead, eels and brook lamprey amongst our other more abundant river species also thrive in the clean, clear chalk stream conditions.
