Chicken farms may explain decline of River Wye, tests show

Activists have revealed farmland test results which provide new evidence of the potential link between intensive poultry units and the decline of the River Wye.

Citizen scientists sampled farmland along public footpaths near a tributary of the river in Herefordshire. They found that the soils with the highest levels of phosphorus, which can eat away at a river, were near intensive poultry farms.

The test results carried out by the Wye Salmon Association with the support of CPRE, Countryside Charity, were presented to the River Wye Nutrient Management Council on September 28. It is responsible for achieving the goals of the Special Area of ​​Conservation.

The Observer revealed last month how food giant Cargill, whose chicken supply chain has been linked to Wye's decline, has faced claims over similar pollution scandals in the United States. The company has denied any responsibility for the claims.

Volunteers sampled 22 sites around Garren Brook, a tributary of the Wye, and analyzed them using an Olsen P test, a standard test for phosphorus in soil. The four sites with the highest levels were all close to large poultry farms.

Gordon Green, the report's author and member of the Wye Salmon Association, said: "We need an annual survey of the entire watershed. It's a mystery why this isn't done routinely already. dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class="dcr-1mfia18"/>< p class="dcr-1vtk2mf">Herefordshire's poultry industry has grown rapidly since the 1990s. Campaigners say phosphates from poultry litter are washed into the Wye, fueling the growth of algal blooms that can choke a river. Last year, a Lancaster University study found that chicken litter was the main source of farmyard manure causing Wye phosphate pollution. The new report provides further evidence of a potential link between chicken farms and river pollution.

The government's code of good agricultural practice states that farmers should avoid spreading manure which increases soil phosphorus. above target levels. Activists are calling for tougher regulations.

Tom Tibbits of Friends of Upper Wye said the current system was ineffective. He said, "They have tons of chicken manure to dispose of and need to find a place to put it."

A spokesperson for the Agency for environment said: Wye is an iconic river. We have secured additional funding to increase monitoring activities on the Wye. Solutions will take time and require maximum effort from partners, river users, farmers and businesses."