This is our third annual Chalk River Walk.
The Pilgrimages are organised by All Saints Church and the RevIvel Association, the local group formed in 2019 to protect the River Ivel.
The River Ivel is only one of 250 rare chalk streams in the world. The pure waters of chalk streams are home to rare plants, fish and animals and are the equivalent of England’s Amazon rainforests or coral reefs in their rarity.
The Upper Ivel River – which once supported four mills, a trout fishery and a watercress industry – is bone dry in places. RevIvel believes the Ivel is dry due to over abstraction by Affinity Water. RevIvel has hired a consultant who has identified a simple solution: stop extracting water and pump water from a reservoir using a pipe which has recently been built.
Here’s a link a story in the Church Times about the event.