Concerned communities get together to monitor River Coquet

Northumberland’s scenic river Coquet rises in the Cheviots, wanders through Thropton, Rothbury, and Felton, and loops around the castle at Warkworth, before entering the sea at Amble. The river itself “has really good water quality”, according to Laura Molon, of Northumbrian Water. But that did not stop more than 100 concerned residents packing a village hall on a chilly early September night to give vent to their many local environmental worries. 

That meeting was organised by the Coquet River Action Group (CRAG), whose chair, Jane Davis, decided one day that, as she put it, instead of “shouting at the television”, it was time to do something. Jane is also treasurer of Rothbury WI, which took the lead in forming an umbrella organisation that includes Warkworth and Amble WIs, three parish councils, four climate action groups, and operates in conjunction with the Northumberland Rivers Trust (NRT). 

CRAG has already been in action, literally testing the water, with kits supplied by the Environment Agency. Emphasising that “we’re really not a protest group”, (a judicious point to make in the current legal state of affairs), they need more volunteers to carry out this vital work, and have already enlisted the help of school groups.

CRAG’s concerns include chemicals, invasive plants such as Himalayan balsam, invertebrates, the legacy of mine water, and manmade issues including farming. As Steve Lowe of the NRT put it, “everything that happens on this river has an effect on wildlife”. Laura Molon told the meeting that Northumbrian Water had a £2bn investment programme, including £1bn to be spent on improving and investing in storm outflows, to lower the number of spills.

Concerns raised at the meeting included warning signs at sewage outflows and overflows, responsibility for mine water issues, phosphates and iron oxide in streams going into the Coquet, and lack of housing development controls. Did you know, for instance, that many new homes are connected up to the wrong sewers? The meeting closed with a final plea from Steve Lowe – “don’t flush the wipes” – and a warning against disposing of things like vapes down road drains.

If you want to find out more, here is CRAG’s website address -  https://coquetriveractiongroup.org/ - and their email address coquetriveractiongroup.outlook.com

                                                                                                                                 Greg Freeman