Riverside Habitats Vanishing as Farmers Plow to Waterways' Edge

In the years since the UK's exit from the European Union in 2020, a concerning trend has emerged across England's countryside. Huge tracts of precious riverside habitats, home to water voles and other vulnerable wildlife, are being lost as farmers plow right up to the edge of waterways.

This dramatic change is a direct result of the UK's departure from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which previously required farmers to maintain a 2-meter buffer strip between their fields and nearby rivers and streams. With this post-Brexit regulation now lifted, many farmers are seizing the opportunity to increase their productive land, plowing right to the water's edge.

The consequences of this practice are severe. Riverside habitats play a crucial role in filtering pollution and supporting a diverse array of plant and animal life. But as these natural buffers disappear, excess soil, chemicals, and manure are flowing directly into the waterways, devastating aquatic ecosystems. The exposed banks also heat up in the summer sun, sometimes reaching temperatures that are fatal for fish and other river-dwelling species.

Campaigners are now urgently calling on the government to intervene, setting targets for riverbank restoration schemes to help clean up and revive England's polluted rivers. With the post-Brexit regulatory landscape in flux, decisive action is needed to protect these precious habitats before they are lost forever.