Town Ditch has some issues

Message recieved 22nd February – via email.

Good to meet you today. As I mentioned we are looking for help around the Salter’s Close area. The Town Ditch has some issues with non native invasive such as Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed. It would be good to see how we could work together.

RDRA response:

The Town ditch is currently being reviewed by TRDC in conjunction with the EA. Mike Sims gave Chris Lloyd a walking tour of it and he is taking it up further.

River Chess Association response:

I am the Chair of the River Chess Association and a partner in the Chess Smarter Water Catchment Project. Over the past year along with the Chiltern Society and Chiltern National Landscape we have established a group of volunteers (River Rangers) to do maintenance work on the Chess. It has been a success and they have been successful in improving flow through Chesham and significantly reducing flood risk while creating good wildlife habitat.

We have seen all the good work that Three Rivers have done around Scotsbridge and are keen to work with existing groups on the maintenance and improvement of channels through Rickmansworth.  There is so much good that is going on in Rickmansworth with expanding water vole populations, otters and growing fish populations. It would be good to build a network of enthusiastic volunteers to grow the engagement with the river, while balancing wild life needs with flood mitigation.

I have been monitoring invertebrates on the Chess at Scotsbridge for over 16 years and it is one of our best sites for Yellow May Dun mayfly in the Colne Catchment.