Threats to the wyre
The River Wyre and its catchment is home to stunning scenery, amazing wildlife and thriving communities. However, there are a number of human activities which cause degradation to the area and affect the ability of the landscape to provide a functioning, resilient ecosystem.
Water Quality
Habitat Degradation and Physical Modification
Water Quality
Runoff from roads and farmland as well as sediments and wastewater entering our rivers, streams and brooks can all be harmful to river life.
Flood Risk
Habitat Degradation and Physical Modification
Water Quality
As well as the damage they cause to businesses and properties, floods also disrupt river ecology and increase the amount of pollutants entering the watercourse.
Habitat Degradation and Physical Modification
Habitat Degradation and Physical Modification
Habitat Degradation and Physical Modification
As well as the damage they cause to businesses and properties, floods also disrupt river ecology and increase the amount of pollutants entering the watercourse.
Water quality
Pollution from many sources affects water quality in the Wyre catchment. Runoff from roads and farmland as well as sediments and wastewater entering our rivers, streams and brooks can all be harmful to river life. Pesticides and herbicides washed into the watercourse when it rains can kill river invertebrates which fish and other wildlife rely on for food, whilst fertilisers high in nutrients can reduce plant diversity and cause algal blooms. Sediment which enters the river when washed off bare arable fields or from river banks trampled by livestock can smother sites where fish have laid their eggs. Water quality also affects our drinking water. Water in the northern reaches of our catchment provides drinking water feeds a water treatment works that caters for an estimated 650 thousand people. Treatment required at the water treatment works to remove pollutants so that it is fit for human consumption is extremely costly, and in some cases, certain pollutants (such as metaldehydes, found in slug pellets) cannot be removed. We are working with landowners and land managers to reduce the amount of polluting substances ending up in our river, as well as raising awareness of how members of the public can reduce their impact on our river.
Flood Risk
Damage to communities and to wildlife
When storm Desmond hit in December 2016 it caused havoc, flooding over 100 properties in Wyre and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. Floods also disrupt river ecology and increase the amount of pollutants entering the watercourse. The way we manage land has a big impact on flood risk. Deforestation of trees which soak up water through their roots and intercept rainfall means that water ends up in the channel more quickly. Soil compaction also increases the rate water runs off the land; instead of some of it being soaked up by vegetation, water flows much more quickly into the nearest waterbody. Drainage of moorlands means there is less water stored here too- healthy, well vegetated moorlands are naturally wet, with vegetation slowing the flow of water downstream but in recent times have been managed to be drier, with areas of bare peat forming. With growing evidence suggesting that climate change is causing more frequent extreme rainfall events, floods are likely to become more common, so we need to find new ways to help reduce flood risk. Through our Natural Flood Management project we are working with landowners to increase buffer strips, plant more trees and increase flood storage areas to slow the flow of water through the environment and increase resilience to floods in the Wyre catchment.
Wyre NFM
Together with its partners, the Wyre Rivers Trust are leading a pioneering project, which will use private funding to implement Natural Flood Management (NFM) measures on the River Wyre and its tributaries, to help reduce the risk of flooding in Churchtown.
Habitat degradation and physical modification
Invasive non-native species are species which have been introduced by humans and have a negative effect on the ecosystem they are introduced. This is often because they outcompete native wildlife. They can be time consuming and costly to remove. Find out more about the invasive plant species you will see when out and about on the Wyre here. The course of many waterbodies in our catchment has been physically modified; channels have been straightened and weirs added in the past in order to power mills, improve drainage or allow water abstraction. However, straightened channels result in lower biodiversity due to their reduced habitat diversity and weirs can often prevent fish passage.
Development and agriculture has also lead to a loss of habitat for native wildlife species.
Explore threats in the Wyre
Use our Catchment data portal to learn more about the threats to the watercourses in the Wyre Catchment.