People Should Be More Aware Of Access Issues to The River Dart

Thank you very much for wanting to read my blog! Gaining full access to the river Dart, (a river local to Torbay and Dartmoor,) is something I feel very strongly about! Very few people seem to be aware of access problems to the rivers of England and Wales, let alone their local rivers. At the moment over 98% of these rivers do not have any access rights for the public. After you have read my blog, I hope you will have learnt a bit more about why we should have all year access to the Dart, and even want to find out more about access to the Dart, or rivers local to you.

Here are some of the main reasons why I believe we should have all year access to the River Dart:
• As Scotland has ‘Permission to Paddle,’ which means that they have access to all rivers in the country, all year round, it would not be hard to extend this towards the whole of Great Britain.
• Having these access opportunities would benefit not only canoeists, but fishermen, swimmers and other waterway users.
• Being able to make use of the river Dart in the summer would also be likely to boost family outings to the said Dart, as both the water and air is warmer in those months which we currently have no access to the river.
• Having access to all rivers would create a fitter, healthier nation, as all water sports require a certain amount of physical participation.
• Having access to a river is like having access to a natural classroom, as you can learn so much from the surrounding habitat and local habitat.

At the moment there is an agreement between canoeists and the land owners of the river Dart, which says that they can paddle the dart during the winter months, when the angling associations aren’t using it, and when the fish aren’t spawning. The Rivers Access Campaign would like, if not all year access, then at least a flood agreement. A flood agreement means that you can only have access to the river at a certain time, when it is in-between two different heights. This means that you don’t damage the spawning grounds, or paddle at dangerous times, like when the river is in flood.

Thank you very much for reading my blog, please do post a comment with your thoughts. It would be great if you could answer a few of the questions below, and it would help a lot.

1) Have you heard of access problems to rivers before?
2) Do you feel more informed on this topic after reading my blog?
3) Would you now be prepared to take further direct action to help gain access to the river Dart? E.g. sign a petition.
4) Are you likely to research more information about access to the river Dart, or another local river?