Environment Agency told to step up and take action to save Chichester river

The Friends of the River Ems (FOTE) has urged the Environment Agency (EA) to step up and prevent what they have called continuing damage to the chalk stream, which runs from the South Downs into Chichester Harbour.

They say Portsmouth Water take huge amounts of water from the underground sources of the Ems under an EA-approved licence, but believe said licence is too permissive and that the river consequently runs drier than it has in the past.

The River Ems is one of only 200 chalk rivers in the UK, and it is home to a number of rare species, including river voles, eels and specialist water plants –many of whom are damaged by the reduced flow of the river.

The group’s complaints come after the River Ems was directly impacted by last year’s drought, which dried up large sections of the river, killing hundreds of fish. Although some parts of the river dry out naturally and Portsmouth Water are obliged to pump some water back into the river during periods of low flow, The Friends say this process is inadequate, and are calling on the EA to “follow its own guidance on managing incidents that leave fish and other wildlife stranded.”

In a letter to the Environment Agency, the FOTE said the current abstraction licence is “not fit for purpose” and requires “urgent review in order that the Environment Agency can exercise its duty.”

Speaking to the Observer last year, Bob Taylor, the CEO of Portsmouth Water said “In order to reduce the amount of water we need to abstract from the Ems valley we first need to either reduce customer demand for that water or we need to find an alternative, sustainable, new source of water (or both).

"We are committed to working with the community in the Ems Valley and our Regulators to do what we can to protect the health of the River Ems, whilst working to find a long-term solution that satisfies everyone.”

A spokesperson for the EA added: “The Environment Agency is continuing to work closely with Portsmouth Water regarding securing sustainable abstraction for the Ems.

“Portsmouth Water hold abstraction licences that allow them to take water from the chalk in the local area for public water supply. Investigations have shown that their abstractions have an impact on flows in the River Ems. This is particularly critical in the summer months when flows are naturally low. Following a relatively wet winter, flows in the Ems are higher now than they have been at this time of year over the last four years.

“We are now taking action to modify abstraction licences to protect our precious chalk streams. We are working with the Arun and Rother Rivers Trust to identify funding sources for their restoration strategy which will enhance the condition and resilience of the Ems catchment. We are committed to doing the right thing for the river Ems, we want a solution that provides long-term resilience and improvement, something we want for all our chalk rivers and watercourses across the area and the country.”