Updates from the River Char
Voices of the River Char
Safety of the River Char in Charmouth
On Wednesday (16th July) we tested the river as usual at five locations. E. coli levels at the footbridge near Charmouth Beach were an alarming 3980 cfu/100ml. That is:
Nearly four times higher than the official "fail" threshold (>900 cfu/100ml) for “sufficient” or minimum safety standards in UK inland bathing waters.
Far above levels considered “safe” for swimming or any full-body contact activity.
What This Means for Swimmers
Swimming in water with E. coli at this concentration is not safe.
There is a heightened risk of gastrointestinal disease, ear, nose, throat, skin, and respiratory infections after contact.
Those most at risk: children, the elderly, anyone with a weakened immune system.
Health Risks
Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach upsets, fever, skin/eye infections.
What to Do
Do NOT swim at this E. coli count.
What’s the cause?
E. coli levels upstream and on the Monkton Wyld Stream were far lower, so this is the result of pollution entering the River Char somewhere between Whitchurch Canonicorum and the footbridge. It almost certainly does not come from Wessex Water’s Sewage Treatment Plant or other assets. Levels like this are common after heavy rain but very rare in a prolonged dry spell. We are investigating.
Trees - whatever next?
If you couldn’t make the ‘Trees - Now and for the future’ event earlier this month, here are some interesting links from Chris Goode, the speaker from Forestry England:
Forestry England’s forest plan for the area including Charmouth Forest. A detailed pdf is at the bottom of the page explaining in detail.
Forest research site to see what trees are suitable (climate change and pests), just enter a grid reference to start.
Managing woods in a climate emergency - link in there to a pdf.
This leaflet helps landowning businesses achieve net zero through woodland creation.
This tool helps you decide which trees to plant in light of the changing climate.
Rivers of Hope
Thank you to everyone who came to the ‘Rivers of Hope’ workshops on 15th and 16th July - organised by Tracy Bell-Reeves and led by Josh Levene. We discussed ways to develop a Rights of Nature approach for local rivers.
Participants came from organisations like Dorchester Town Council, Devon County Council, Somerset Rivers Authority, the Brit Valley Project and Dorset Wildlife Trust. The rivers they spoke for included:
The Asker ~ The Axe ~ The Bride ~ The Brit ~ The Char ~ The Frome ~ The Lim ~ The Otter ~ The Piddle ~ The Sid ~ The Simene
We plan further meetings with these local rivers and also discussions with Dorset Councillors about how to ensure that our Charter has maximum impact at Dorset Council. If you'd like to be involved in any way, please contact Andrew Carey: andrew@westhay.com
Forthcoming Events
A performed reading of Anton Chekhov’s The Lady with the Little Dog on Wednesday 17th September, 6.30 for 7.00pm, The Coach House, Mapperton House DT8 3NR.
‘One of the greatest stories ever written’ (Vladimir Nabakov)
Tickets £15 at the door, but pre-booking is required. To book, please email afr2@soton.ac.uk
And we’re hugely grateful that the organisers are donating the proceeds to the River Char Action group. Thank you!
Finally
We didn’t need to ask AI to create a picture of the TBX membrane filter that recorded nearly 4,000 colonies of E. coli per 100ml in the River Char this week. The blue spots (if you’re counting, you need to multiply the total by 5) are bad for you!
If you have been, thanks for reading. Please sign our charter.
If you’d rather not, please scroll down to unsubscribe.
We gratefully acknowledge funding support from Dorset National Landscape, Wessex Water Foundation, Dorset Community Foundation and Gane & Marshall.
