Spate.

All this rain in mid Wales and Herefordshire can only lead to one thing on the River Wye; a Spate. Sadly, these days the bloody acres of polytunnels (for out of season strawberries) in the catchment of the Wye (and by association Lugg and Arrow) means that the river runs a horrible chocolate colour.

The problem is this - the rain falls on the polytunnel and runs off on to the soil inbetween them. In effect the water is channelled to erode the fine, clay rich soil in the fields.

This is a problem because although a spate will clear algae from spawning beds, the silt will smother everything nonetheless. It's such a problem there is even a movement to control them.

I'll cut to the chase here because it's late;

If you buy strawberries in the middle of winter, you are silly-billy. Stop it. You're helping to kill my second-favourite river.

Ta.
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