The race to protect the Lake District’s water
Despite being the wettest part of England, the Lake District faces significant water-related challenges. Sadly, none of the national park’s lakes or rivers are deemed to be in “good health” ecologically and chemically, with Windermere in a particularly dangerous condition.
The mountainous region surrounding Helvellyn, the Lake District’s third highest peak, gathers a substantial portion of the rainwater that supplies homes, businesses, and public buildings throughout the northwest of England.
In recent years, parts of the Lake District have swayed between destructive flooding and serious droughts, drying its rivers and reservoirs. As the climate crisis intensifies, these events are putting immense pressure on the watercourses that support people and wildlife.
However, The Cumbria River Restoration is one glimmer of hope! John Gorst, a catchments partnership officer at the water company United Utilities, which has 7.5 million customers in the region says, “The Land is our primary filter”. United Utilities and The Cumbria River Restoration are teaming up to regenerate natural habitats in order to soak up, purify, and slow down freshwater to enhance water security, quality, and availability for all.
The project has so far restored habitats throughout three Cumbrian River catchments with plans in place to restore many more.
