I REALLY need to take the time to drop you a few lines, as I feel so desperate that EA Officials and other nature groups are on one hand looking into trying to protect the water ways and in the other, don't see the whole picture and what to do?  

Fields and farmers are the targets, but actually road run-off is a shocking pollutant, especially after a dry spell all the build up of tyre/rubber and oils etc on the road surface, then a sudden down poor, all runs down the roads and eventually into tributaries/streams/rivers = massive pollution. 

Holiday parks and new housing with own Sewage Treatment Systems, then pump directly into low flow streams (Suppose to be able to drink the outflow?).  Even when the outflow water may look clear in colour, it will probably still contain a cocktail of chemicals which people take in their medications everyday, these will be then passed into the sewage systems and then out into the streams/rivers.

First hand I know these systems can be very temperamental, as we have a holiday park situated on a tributary in our field and since 2013, it's polluted the stream, at very busy times it's absolutely disgusting. I have been told as long as the holiday park is working within their permit nothing can be done?  Our stream bottom is dead with only nasties like leaches and other creatures that like dirty water.  We have sparkling under ground water that runs out  to meet with this tributary, but then is polluted by the holiday park.

Farmers only apply farm yard manure, slurry and artificial fertiliser occasionally throughout the season, where as sewage systems are pumping out daily into our streams.

Farm yard manure is recycling, natural and food for all the earth living insects, worms and creature and is a long-term fertiliser for the crop.  One application in the autumn feeds the winter crop until suitable time to travel on the fields in the early spring time.

It encourages insects, worms and creature which are food for the numerous birds which then come to the fields.  Farming provides a huge life cycle for nature. One cow poo = insects = hedgehogs and swallows = hawks. 

Farmers feed our nation and should be respected for that, and don't want to be the ones to be blamed for the state of our water ways.  If farmers were left to manage the streams with yearly light dredging, the streams would flow smoother and easier, results would be tidy banks, where creatures would burrow and live safely when flooding occurs as the banks would be firmer, where as in over grown vegetation, loose banks, when flooding occurs the water washes all this on, including creatures living in that loose vulnerable bank as it's washed away and taken down stream, like those two Beavers found in a storm drain.

In general farmers have their field spread zones and if near streams have buffer zones, especially to protect the water ways. More roads, more housing is the cause of more pollution. 

Without us farmers, this country will be starving.

Nicola Alford
Tregarrick Farm, Cornwall