A SLURRY spill that has turned the River Frome black has left local group, Friends of the River Frome and local residents ‘devastated’.
The spill took place upstream (south) of Frome on Thursday 20th August. According to an Environment Agency officer, the spill was causing fish to suffocate.
Sue Everett, of Friends of the River Frome, said, “Agricultural diffuse pollution from fertiliser and slurry is the main impact on the upper reaches of the river, causing its already poor condition.
“In this area there is too high a livestock density, creating a huge quantity of livestock waste to dispose of that this landscape and our river cannot cope with.
“Last winter was particularly dire, with slurry spread on waterlogged ground, soil and water running out of maize fields causing localised flooding.”
But similar practices she said are observed every year, despite new regulations that were introduced over two years ago.
A similar slurry spill occurred in 2016, and killed thousands of fish. The responsible farmer was fined and paid costs to the Environment Agency of £22,000. It is not confirmed whether the spill this time originated from the same farm.
Friends of the River Frome is one of the organisations supporting a new farmer group in the area, which is being coordinated by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West.
The group says, “We urge local farmers to join with this group, which will offer help and guidance on better farming practices, including better slurry, grassland and hedgerow management that will benefit nature in the river and on land – all practices that will also improve business sustainability.
“Meanwhile, anyone interested in supporting the work of Friends of the River Frome is urged to join our group via http://friendsoftheriverfrome.co.uk.”
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency told Frome Times, “The Environment Agency received reports from concerned members of the public on the afternoon of 20 August of fish in distress (gasping) and discolouration in a tributary of the River Frome, on the outskirts of the town.
“Our staff attended the watercourse, took samples for analysis and investigated the extent and potential source of the problem. Environment officers traced the source of the pollution and had it stopped on Friday.
“Environment Officers returned to the site this morning (Sunday 23/08/20) where they found 15 dead fish. We suspect that these may have died before the pollution source was stopped on Friday.
“Dissolved oxygen levels in the water are slightly below the ideal level, as a precaution we will use aeration equipment to improve oxygen levels this afternoon.
“A fisheries officer will visit the site on Monday (24th August) to carry out a full fish kill assessment. We are grateful to the public for reporting this incident to us and their ongoing interest in the health of the river.”
Picture: Taken on Thursday 20th August – the River Frome just below the tributary from East Woodlands, where the slurry entered the main river opposite the new Edmund Park development.
