Environmental campaigners collecting evidence of falling water levels in river
Campaigners say the River Ems has been harmed by the amount of water being taken from its underground sources.
The Friends of the Ems group, formed by people in the Westbourne area, has assembled a dossier of evidence.
The group is lobbying Portsmouth Water and the Environment Agency for a reduction and has been backed by Chichester MP Gillian Keegan and councillors.
A group spokesman said: “Since we formed in September we’ve done a lot of research. We’ve gathered a lot of evidence which we
believe shows how much the river has deteriorated over the years. It’s now at a very worrying point and action is needed to save it.
“Having enough water in our taps is of vital importance. But the social and environmental benefits of a fully functioning river are also of immense value.
“The Ems is a very rare chalk stream, one of only about 200 of its kind on Earth. It’s a vital resource for local people as well as for wildlife. Walkers find beauty and relaxation along its banks.
“Children play in it, feed the ducks, catch tiddlers and experience nature. It has a huge role in the wellbeing and mental health of the community. We believe it must be possible to find a way of reducing pressure on the river while maintaining a water supply.”
The group, known as FOTE, says the Ems was healthier and flowed more strongly in the past.
It says past editions of the national angling guide Where to Fish show the river has changed dramatically.
Plant and animal surveys reported to the Environment Agency in 2007 suggest the Ems used to be perennial (flowing year-round) below Broadwash bridge.
FOTE says climate change or urbanisation cannot account for this reduction in the strength of the river.
It points out that in the past 50 years it has become quite common for the millpond at Westbourne to dry out in dry summers, despite Portsmouth Water pumping water into the river above the village.
In September last year, local people were appalled when the river became not much more than a chain of puddles through the village, with dead and dying fish.
One resident described it as the worst he had ever seen.
The group said the river had already been on the edge of drying out, but reached this crisis point because of a failure of a pump to add water at times of low flow.
The pump was eventually fixed and rain helped to restore some flow.
It is likely that the river and its wildlife will take years to recover. FOTE believes the incident highlights long-term issues with the management of the river.
Several reports on the Ems accept the impact that abstraction has had on the river and its biodiversity.
Abstraction rates have been fairly constant over the last 50 years but the condition of the river has got steadily worse.
FOTE says this reflects the unsustainability of the abstraction, especially during a period of changing climate. It believes species including the water vole, kingfisher and brown trout could become locally extinct.
FOTE, part of Greening Westbourne, is keen to receive more information, especially written or photographic evidence, that suggests the river once enjoyed better conditions and flows. It is still collecting evidence.