Swimming and boating in hundreds extra English waterways than thought, information finds | Water

Thousands extra waterways are getting used for swimming and boating in England than beforehand recorded, new information reveals.

A large-ranging authorities evaluation of the ways in which England’s waterways are used for recreation has discovered 3,347 “water recreation locations” in rivers, lakes and seas across the nation. These are locations the place individuals participate in actions together with swimming, rowing and paddleboarding. The Environment Agency had beforehand recognized 342.

Of these 3,347 areas, 1,727 had been used for swimming, 1,706 for paddle boarding, 220 for rowing, 1,065 for crusing and 87 for browsing. Hugely fashionable inland areas included waterbody catchments across the Thames, Great Ouse, Cam, Nene, Tyne and Trent rivers and the pure lakes of the Lake District nationwide park.

The variety of annual licences to make use of unpowered watercraft reminiscent of rowing boats, canoes and paddleboards has greater than doubled, from 45,000 in 2017 to 100,000 in 2023.

Dani Jordan, the director of campaigns and communities at Surfers Against Sewage, stated: “This research only confirms what we’ve been saying for years. England’s wild waters are alive with swimmers, surfers, sailors and paddlers all year round. But the rules meant to protect them are stuck in the past.”

There are simply 451 official bathing websites in England – these inside 500m of one another weren’t counted twice, to keep away from together with the identical watercourse twice within the information.

Only bathing areas which might be designated as such by the federal government are examined for air pollution to make sure they’re secure for swimming, and these are examined solely within the months marked because the official bathing season. However, the rainier months usually convey extra sewage air pollution into England’s waterways as sewers grow to be overloaded. The report discovered that solely 20% of the areas used for swimming are inside 500m of a delegated bathing water monitoring level.

Campaigners have been pushing for extra rivers and lakes to be designated as bathing waters with the intention to put strain on water firms and the federal government to scrub up England’s waterways.

Recent analysis discovered that England’s bathing waters are 5 occasions extra more likely to be polluted with micro organism than these within the EU. E coli and different micro organism from sewage air pollution dumped by water firms has plagued many out of doors recreation occasions in recent times, together with the Boat Race in London.

Experts have known as for the federal government to step up testing outdoors the official bathing season, check extra areas and provide you with a technique for eradicating air pollution.

Richard Benwell, the chief govt of Wildlife and Countryside Link, stated: “With huge demand for clean, safe waters year-round, we need more bathing waters designated alongside clear, time-bound measures to improve water quality. Public health and nature recovery must go hand in hand, creating thriving rivers, lakes and coasts where wildlife flourishes and people can enjoy spending time in and around the water.”

Jordan stated: “Right now, water-quality testing and bathing water laws are not fit for purpose. Most of our blue spaces aren’t even monitored – and that’s unacceptable. With bathing water reforms due this year, the government must act on this evidence, committing to year-round testing and protection for all water users – not just the narrow band of ‘bathers’ recognised in the current regulations.”

Dr Robert Bradburne, the chief scientist on the Environment Agency stated: “For the first time, we have robust and insightful data on how people use our waterways on a national scale.

“Communities are using our rivers, lakes and seas for many reasons and it is clear that the way people interact with their local water environments has changed over time. We want to support water users by helping them to make informed decisions when out on the water.

“This data will help us to plan our resources effectively as we work with the government to implement their bathing water reforms.”