Dear Friends
As late Spring sails into full-blown Summer we thought we’d give you a wee update before everyone heads off on a bonny holiday. You may have guessed, we’re going to Scotland where rivers run crystal clear (well some of them) and salmon leap.
Let’s start with sewage … well that shattered the romantic dream! Sewage is all over the national headlines, and we have our fair share in the Axe catchment. In 2025 the Tatworth treatment works tipped an estimated 161,671m3 of untreated sewage into the Forton Brook, which unsurprisingly is classified by the Environment Agency as in BAD ecological condition. Tatworth bucked the trend in 2025, and discharged more untreated sewage than it had in 2024 despite 2025 being considered a very dry year.
So we want to see what impact all that sewage has on our rivers. We’re delighted to be working with Axe Vale Canoe Club to get bacterial monitoring (that’s e-coli to you and me) going in the Axe estuary. A big thank you to those river groups who have shared your experience to help us decide which approach is right for us. We even visited the community lab in Guildford to take advice from The River Wey Trust. We are in awe of what you all do.
FORA’s sewage campaign SPEAR (Sewage Pollution Elimination in the Axe Rivers) focuses on collecting evidence of the real impact sewage pollution has on people. So, if you have been affected by sewage – perhaps you fell ill after swimming off Seaton beach, or your dog got poorly going in the river, or maybe the “No Swim” sewage warnings on Seaton sea front recently impacted your business - then do get in touch. The more evidence we have, the stronger our voice will be.
We have started a new river restoration project in collaboration with our friends at Axe Vale Rivers Association. We’ve given it the tongue-in-cheek name of Operation Sea Trout Rising in mockery of Mr Trump’s Operation Epic Fury. The project is to improve 1.5km of the Kit Brook to help sea trout. The Kit Brook is one of the main sea trout spawning rivers in the South West. We’ll be holding a community event all about sea trout and the project’s work in November. More details to follow.
FORA has been working with six East Devon river groups – known collectively as the Rivers of East Devon (the REDs, to reflect the colour of many East Devon rivers when full of red Devon soil run-off) – from the Lim, the Axe, the Sid, the Otter, the Clyst, the Exe and the Exe Estuary. In February, East Devon District Council unanimously passed a Motion Protecting and Recognising the Rights of East Devon Rivers. The REDs presented its ‘asks’ to EDDC councillors, pressing the Council to take action to turn the good intent behind the Motion into tangible action within the Council’s powers and remit. We’re delighted that this has opened up a positive dialogue with EDDC and we see it as a first step to widening our sphere of influence.
FORA’s river surveys continue, with volunteers monitoring water quality, and providing data into the Axe IMP. Axe IMP! What’s that? Integrated Monitoring Plan, and not a mischievous elf. We have been piloting the new National Rivers Survey and mastering Green Eggs. Green Eggs? Yes, these are hand-sized devices for assessing phosphate levels. Guess what colour they are? Perhaps the Axe IMP lays the Green Eggs!
FORA is pleased to work alongside the Axe Vale Riverfly team who survey freshwater invertebrates across the Axe Rivers. Just recently team leader Paul trained up a new bunch of recruits so even more Axe Rivers will be getting a close inspection for mayflies, olives, and cased caddis.
You may remember FORA has been working with a landowner to re-wet an area of historic marsh just outside Chardstock - Farway Marsh. Phase 2 of the work has kicked off to reinforce the bund bank which is helping to hold water on the land, and to insert some woody debris into the river to push the water out onto the marsh more frequently.
In the Spring a group of volunteers traversed the Kit Brook with ladders and great resolve to remove redundant tree guards from a copse on the far side. A recent site visit with an ecologist found water starwort already growing in one of the scrapes, and the Whirlygigs were whizzing around on the surface of the water while a dragonfly laid eggs so daintily into the water. See the Farway movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqb3GuIFURc
FORA has decided it is time to put big boy pants on, and so over the Summer we are forming a steering group. We are looking for a treasurer to help us manage our finances. Not an onerous task but important for our good governance. And while on the subject of money we would like to thank our funders who keep our work on the road. The task of applying for funding is onerous and increasingly difficult as there are so many pulls on the funders’ pockets, and so we always welcome donations.
We are pleased to have strengthened our relationship with the regulator, the Environment Agency, which is now meeting with FORA quarterly. We continue to report pollution incidents on every occasion and have recently received feedback that our reports are credible and evidence-based.
We continue to press for bigger, faster, more ambitious work to bring the Axe Rivers back to good health. We, like you, often despair that there is a lot of noise but not much action. But as Robert Macfarlane said in his book Is A River Alive?, ‘Despair is a luxury. Hope is a discipline.’
Follow us on facebook to keep up to date with our news: Friends of the River Axe or email us on friendsoftheriveraxe@gmail.com
Kind regards
Vicky Whitworth
Chair