Action for the River Kennet

Watch BBC Inside Out Drought Special on iPlayer.

Two regional programmes (West and South) feature the Kennet as a river impacted by drought and abstraction.  

Water saving event Marlborough Town Hall - all day Wednesday 2nd May. Book your free water saving home makeover and find out about rainwater harvesting for your garden. Run by Thames Water as part of the Care for the Kennet campaign.

Job Opportunity - Assistant to River Trust Director

ARK are looking for an all rounder to assist the Director in running this dynamic and busy charity. Please click here for further details. Closing date 4 May 2012.

Muddy Walkers needed!

ARK are looking for volunteers to take muddy walks between Hungeford and Newbury to report where muddy water is washing into the river. We really need your help every time it rains in the next few weeks please.

Care for the Kennet. Take positive drought busting action with a free water saving makeover for your home.

Click here for press release and more about the free makeovers .

To book a free water saving makeover for your home email C4K@riverkennet.org with your phone number and postcode and you will be contacted to arrange a visit from a trained fitter, or you can call 0800 358 6665 and quote 'Care for the Kennet'.

ARK hosts MPs' visit to ailing Kennet

On Saturday 14 January ARK hosted a visit to the River Kennet from the chair of the all party parliamentary angling group - Charles Walker MP and Claire Perry, MP for Devizes. Martin Salter, the campaigns director for the Angling Trust and ex MP for Reading, whose old constituency included the River Kennet, were also, along with representatives from ARK Dr Geoffrey Findlay, ARK's chairman and Charlotte Hitchmough ARK's director, and concerned local residents.

The event was a chance to show politicians the dire state of the Kennet, which is a result of lack of rainfall combined with excessive water abstraction.

Following the publication of the Water White Paper it is important that politicians see for themselves the sad state of some of England's rivers, and know that good legislation could protect rivers like the Kennet in future.

For press release click here or read the Marlborough News Online article.

  More fish rescued from drying River Kennet. Click here to read Marlborough News Online article

Richard Benyon, Minister for the Natural Environment visits dry River Kennet

Click here for Marlborough NewsOnline article.

  BBC Panorama and Abstraction from Axford  

19 September 2011

Click here to watch 'Drinking our Rivers Dry' on iPlayer

ARK (Action for the River Kennet) has been campaigning to reduce abstraction from the borehole at Axford for 20 years. This abstraction takes water from aquifer which feeds the River Kennet and exports it to Swindon. The abstraction damages the river’s ecology, which includes mayflies, brown trout, kingfishers, watervole and otters.

Despite agreement from both the Environment Agency and Thames Water that a reduced licence is needed, nothing has yet been done. In fact, earlier this year the EA renewed Thames Water's abstraction license despite clear and critical issues of over abstraction on this river.

Thames Water has made a commitment to reduce abstraction from the Kennet aquifer, but we need to see a clear timetable for action. We need the support of government, the regulator and the Environment Agency to allow this to happen.

The example of the Kennet highlights a bigger issue, which is that current legislation permits water companies to abstract too much water from the aquifers which feed our fragile chalk streams. We are destroying our rivers, and the problem will only get worse as demand for water grows.

The government is currently drafting its Water White Paper and ARK is working with WWF-UK to make sure they will take this opportunity to change water licencing rules to protect chalk streams like the Kennet. We would like to see a water management system that better reflects natural variability and the value of water to the environment as well as to people.

Action for the River Kennet 20 September 2011

Ramsbury abstraction press release

 Stonebridge Meadow Moth Night 24 September 2011 7pm

Stonebridge Meadow Walks 20 August 2011

Find out more about the wildlife in the Meadows: 10am, 12 noon and 9pm Click here for photosof this event. Led by Peter Marren and Harry Forbes

Stonebridge Meadow - What do you think? ARK and Marlborough Town Council are drawing up plans for the future managment of Stonebridge Meadow on the east of Marlborough. We'd love to know what's important to you.  Do you want football pitches or wildflowers? Picnic spots or bird hides? Paddling areas or fishing? By followingthis link  you can complete a short survey and let us know. Dealine August 14th.

We are on FLICKR - follow this link to see photographs of what's happening on the Kennet.

Latest newsletter: Please click here to read our latest newsletter

HamptonCourt Flower Show2011

MP Claire Perry visits ARK's new Wild River Reserve

MP Claire Perry visited the Kennet at Stonebridge Lane on May 20th. She admired the beautiful riverside site, where a new boardwalk, seats and wildlife habitat work have created a place where people can enjoy the river. She shared ARK's concern over the low levels of water in the river and pledged to take action over abstraction. Full article here: Marlborough News Online article.

Lemonade and Cake at Stonebridge Lane Wild River Reserve

On May 25 locals and visitors celebrated the completion of work to ARK's site at Stonebridge Lane with a glass of lemonade and a delicious selection of homemade cake. For more about the project click here.