Checking water quality on the Essex coast
I get a lot of people staring at me as I stride into the sea, wearing waders, to collect a sample of water. Some ask what I’m up to and I’m proud to say that I’m gathering samples to check …
A week in the life of a beach coordinator in Cumbria
A week in the life of a beach coordinator in Cumbria The seaside economy contributes more than £3.6 billion each year in England and it’s crucial we protect our bathing water quality. Bathing water quality in the UK reached a …
Managing water resources in West Cumbria
We’re currently working with United Utilities to deliver West Cumbria’s demand for water in the best possible way, balancing the needs of people whilst protecting the sensitive natural environment. West Cumbria needs a new water supply fit for the twenty …
What do schoolchildren think about looking after water?
...draft river basin management plans. The Agency asked us to put a range of key questions to the pupils about looking after water. Children’s views were noted down from discussion,...
Build it and they will come...
...with great haste and in unpredictable ways, never ceases to amaze me. We all had great expectations for Medmerry – 180 hectares of saltmarsh, lagoons and mudflats on the Sussex...
Putting fish on the ‘highway’ to success
We’ve been working to allow fish to migrate freely up and down two of Yorkshire’s rivers, taking rivers back to how they would have been before the industrial revolution. In the last few months we’ve made significant additions to Yorkshire’s …
Out on patrol with our fisheries enforcement team in Cheshire
I love my job because every day I deal with something new. As a Fisheries Officer, I'm involved in lots of different work that is aimed at protecting fish in my local area. One of my main duties is to carry …
Working together to create a better place for fish
I am a fisheries project officer for the Environment Agency, before that I also worked for the National Rivers Authority, and I have been involved with fishing for over 13 years. I started life as a water bailiff, a job …
From a phone call to a fish rescue
When you are dealing with a water body the size of London’s Hyde Park, the presence of two or three dead fish may not seem significant, but it can be an important early warning that something is wrong. So when …
Turning the tide on poor water quality
The Environment Agency is involved with the Turning Tides partnership, which brings together organisations, local councils and community groups to improve the quality of local bathing waters. Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Rich McIlwain, sets out how this partnership is …