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The Comet newspaper recently published an article about an oil spill into the River Hiz in 2023.
Logie Property Co Limited took responsibility for an oil discharge from transformers being used at Ickleford Mill into the River Oughton and River Hiz around August 31, 2023.
The company will contribute £20,000 to Great Ouse Rivers Trust, a environmental body which protects the Great Ouse and its lakes, tributaries and wetlands.
The full article can be read here: https://www.thecomet.net/news/25932528.company-contribute-20-000-river-hiz-oil-spill/
Stotfold Mill will be open on Sunday 29th March from 12:30-5:00pm
Milling demonstration sessions from 1:00pm onwards.
Please support this local charity and come along to see how the upper River Ivel powered Stotfold Mill throughout its working life.
Details here: https://www.stotfoldmill.com/plan-your-visit/open-dates-and-times/
More housing developments, on “green field” land, have been approved in North Herts over the past few months.
- Baldock 3,000+ new homes
- Letchworth 900+ new homes
- Hitchin (east) 700+ new homes
- Little Wymondley 350+ new homes
- Great Wymondley 9+ new homes
- Graveley 26+ new homes
Additional sites are also being evaluated alongside the A1(M) south of Letchworth. And, this does not include the huge housing development to the North of Lister Hospital in Stevenage.
Where is all the additional drinking water coming from to supply these new homes?
North Herts District Council and the Letchworth Heritage Foundation both indicated that they are committed to protecting the environment. Yet, RevIvel has been unable to find any evidence that these developments will reduce water abstraction from the surrounding chalk aquifers.
5000+ new homes in N.Herts will require a lot more drinking water. Relying on existing chalk water aquifers runs a significant risk of reducing the groundwater levels for the natural springs that feed our local chalk streams.
A major source of pollution into the upper River Ivel is a A1(M) Stormwater Pond near Baldock. The exact location is beside the Kingfisher Way footpath, just south of Nortonbury Lane.
This stormwater pond collects runoff from the A1(M) and gradually releases it into the River Ivel. Ponds like this often contain toxic metals (lead), oil, polymers, and other chemical contaminants. We believe this stormwater pond was last cleaned out over 30 years ago.
Lobbying by RevIvel has helped to get this stormwater pond cleaned out, which is good for the River Ivel.
Contractors have removed +30 years of tree and scrub growth. We anticipate that silt in the stormwater pond will next be carefully removed from the site. And finally, a new reed bed installed to complete the work.
If you walk along the Kingfisher Way between Baldock and Radwell, you will see the work taking place over the coming weeks.
Pix Brook in Letchworth, between Norton Common and Standalone Farm, has been transformed over the past two weeks.
A series of natural water breaks have been built across the brook. We believe the work is part of a wider Environment Agency project to reduce flooding in Stotfold.
Additional river monitoring devices have also been installed by the Environment Agency.
In an idyllic Oxfordshire hamlet, the fish in the river keep dying. Why? David Thewlis and Jason Watkins lead this shocking real-life drama of victims, whistleblowers and England’s water companies.
Channel 4 is now showing a docudrama about the shocking state of the UK Water Industry and the impact on local communities.
A link to the Channel 4 series site is here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dirty-business
A RevIvel Member and keen dog walker has reported seeing parakeets in and around Radwell.
We believe the birds are Ringneck Parakeets that probably escaped from captivity. They have regularly been spotted down by the upper River Ivel over many months and don’t seem bothered by the British winters.
Please let us know if you spot anything similar on your walks along the River Ivel!!!