Passionate about the River Exe?

We can all also help our river by making changes at home. Remember everything that goes down the drain, falls in a ditch or lands on the road ends up being washing into a river and ultimately the sea.

• Don’t put harmful chemicals and pesticides down your drains and on your garden – pesticides are water soluble and will seep into the ground, ending up in the water course, and in the river.
• Use biodegradable cleaning products – Grit, grime, oils, soaps, detergents, chemicals, pharmaceuticals can all kill invertebrates which young salmon/trout feed on.
• Plant a tree – its root-systems create stability, absorb rainwater and reduces amount of soil that runs into the river.
• Go easy on the amount of water you use – sweep rather than use a patio cleaner, shower every other day and put a brick in your toilet system.
• Only wash pee, paper and poo down the loo.
• No wet wipes and sanitary towels.
• Save rainwater by putting water butts on all your drain pipes – not only are you conserving water for your garden but you are also preventing runoff and flooding.
• Create a water garden near your water butt where the rainwater runs off.
• Compost your garden waste and enrich your soil with the compost – this will help retain moisture and encourages carbon sequestration (absorption).
• Use peat free compost – peatlands conserve water and are a really great carbon sink.
• Do not leave soil bare as it is more prone to run off. Plant some green manure such as clover or mustard to enrich your soil.
• Join task groups to remove invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan Balsam from your local river bank.
• Eat more organic & plant based meals – this reduces chemical & manure wash-off into the river.
• Protecting rivers is part of protecting the planet – join a local community group such as Transition Exeter, Transition Exmouth & Sustainable Tiverton to find out what’s happening.
• Talk to your friends, family, neighbours, counsellors and your MP about river protection – it’s one of the most effective individual actions you can take.