SINCE publishing an article last month about the unsightly state of the River Wey and fears over flooding, The Herald has received a deluge of calls and letters. One letter, written by Farnham resident Molly Michael, was signed by more than 50 residents of both Red Lion Lane and Lower Church Lane. The letter reads: "We are very concerned at the rapid growth of Himalayan balsam and watercress in the River Wey in Farnham. The width of the river is greatly reduced as the rampant growth impedes the flow of water. Swans have been unable to land or take off in the restricted space of the remaining water. There are usually swans and their cygnets, as well as ducks and their families throughout the summer. "Also, there is a more serious threat of flooding in this low lying area, once the autumnal rains arrive. After the very bad flooding in the 1960s, the river was widened and there was no further trouble. But now that width has been lost, due to the growth of the balsam. There was also a large sapling growing in the riverbed at The Maltings, which causes further obstruction. "Very little maintenance of the river seems to have been done for some years and we are asking the authorities to clean up the river as a matter of urgency so that the danger of flooding may be avoided." It is correspondence such as this that has prompted local MP Jeremy Hunt into pressurising the Environment Agency (EA) to take action. While no guarantee has been provided that even a small stretch of the river will be dredged for the first time in two decades, the EA has declared that it will undertake a "scavenge" through the channel before winter to remove potential blockages. "We've got a three-month rolling programme of maintenance," said an EA spokesman. "A scavenge includes cutting back overgrown vegetation and removing bulky items in the river which may be impeding the flow. This is so the river can carry the maximum level of water at times of heavy rain," he added. "This programme is to be stepped up in the autumn with a more intensive removal of vegetation in a more environmentally considerate way. There has been excessive vegetation growth this year, and whereas in the past we have controlled this by spraying herbicides, this has not been possible this year due to the very low water level. "As vegetation dies, it falls into the river and the associated bacteria can pose a risk to aquatic life due to low oxygen levels - especially in times of low water levels - so we tend not to do this in the summer," he concluded. In response to the announcement, Mr Hunt said: "I am delighted that the Environment Agency has given a guarantee to the people of Farnham that the River Wey will be scavenged before the winter months. "Clearly lessons have been learned from past experiences and it is reassuring that they are making advance preparations."
