News

Call to Action Saturday 31st January - Protect the Meon !

The residents of Droxford, helped by the Test and Itchen Association, Fish Legal and Activist Anglers, are mounting a civil protest at 11am on 31st January 2026 to highlight the damage done by 4x4 off-road vehicles and motorcyclists driving down a 200m stretch of the River Meon, resulting in destruction of the precious chalk stream habitat.

The aim of the protest is to focus on Hampshire County Council (HCC) and South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) highlighting their lack of action to close down the route through a Traffic Restriction Order (TRO).

The organisers would welcome your support if you are able to come along, wave a placard and add your voice to the tumult. The more people that turn out the more likely it is that the authorities who have sat on their hands for far too long will take some action.

Meet at the Village Hall at 10:45am, assembling for the demonstration at 11am when there will be a briefing for attendees and the media. BBC has already indicated they will be there. Organisers have invited local politicians, HCC and SDNPA to come and see for themselves.

To support those giving their time on the day, refreshments will be available at the Village Hall for volunteers, supporters, and attending stakeholders.

Date: Saturday 31st January
Time: Meet at 10:45. Protest 11am - 12:15pm
Location: River Meon, Droxford

Meeting Point: at 10:45 - Droxford Village Hall What3Words - ///legwork.much.health

Protest Locations

Entrance to Splash Route Main Protest Site What3Words - ///bearable.surprise.stubble

Exit to Splash Route - Protest Site What3Words - ///frost.presumes.clearing

This will be a lawful, peaceful and well-organised protest, focused on :

Drawing public and media attention to the ongoing damage
Calling for immediate action by HCC to put in place a TRO
Encouraging authorities to meet their legal and environmental responsibilities

Members of the press and broadcast media will be invited to attend to film, photograph, and interview key stakeholders.

This protest is not about confrontation. It is about accountability, environmental stewardship, and ensuring that a nationally important chalk stream is protected for future generations.

Volunteer Event Thursday 22nd January

22nd January 2026 - this evening saw our launch event for volunteers and supporters. 67 people turned out on a rainy night.

Speakers included Tom Gregory on his restoration project at Alreside Meadow, Barry Frampton from the Cheriton Conservation Volunteers and Maggie Shelton from the Hants & IoW Wildlife Trust. There was lots of networking and many of you signed up to get involved in activities both existing and new.

As the Lottery-funded Watercress and Winterbournes scheme winds up in March, volunteering activities will now be supported by the Upper Itchen Restoration CIC.

If you missed the evening and want to get involved, do get in touch !

A special presentation was made to Maggie Shelton, to show our appreciation of the work done by Watercress & Winterbournes over the past 5 years.

Thanks to Simon Newman of CCVG for the pictures

Simon James on Panel at Climate Change film

15th January 2026 - UIR CIC Director Simon James featured tonight on an expert panel on climate change.

New Leaf, Alresford-based climate change action group, organised a screening on the film 'System Update' about the action needed on the climate crisis. Simon appeared in a panel discussion, including Winchester MP Danny Chambers, Prof. Ian Williams of Southampton University and film maker Paul Maple.

That parallel crisis, our collapsing biodiversity, also got a mention, with panel members examining a bottle of Fairy Liquid on stage, commenting on its long-lasting effects on aquatic life.

Monthly Monitoring Summary for December

15th January 2026 - our summary of monitoring for December is published today.

You can read the monitoring summary here.

December's Invert of the Month, a Green Drake (Ephemera danica) mayfly nymph, comes from the Candover.

On sites around Alresford, Phosphate levels continued at the highest levels since we started monitoring, probably due to watercress growing cleaning out beds and sediment traps.

Thanks to welcome rain in December, some of our winterbourne stretches are flowing again.

Drought Watch Update

11th January 2026 - our December update to our Itchen Drought Watch is published today. Head to our Drought Watch page for the latest.

Monthly Monitoring Summary for November

19th December 2025 - our summary of monitoring for November is published today.

You can read the monitoring summary here.

In November, we began to see a recovery in invertebrate numbers after this year's drought. November's Invert of the Month comes from the Dever.

For the second month running, Phosphate levels were the highest since we started monitoring, probably due to run-off due to heavy rain.

Water levels were still low in November, with some winterbourne stretches still dry.

Household Cleaning Products campaign

15th December 2025

After our investigation with Ros Robinson, which found 121 potentially harmful chemicals in the Itchen, we plan to launch a campaign on better product choices for household cleaning in the New Year, with support from the Network for Social Change.

61 of these chemicals come from products used in our homes. The products we use in our homes every day contain a large number of chemicals. By making different product choices, we can all help to reduce the quantity of these harmful chemicals being discharged into our groundwater and waterways.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of green-washing around the supposedly environmentally friendly claims of many household cleaning products - but here's our simple guide to what to look out for (always read the label before buying !) and avoid if you can.

Join us in the search for genuinely chalk stream-friendly alternatives - you can

· Visit your local refill shop for sustainable alternatives

· Look for eco-brands in local supermarkets

· Buy online via e.g. www.ethicalsuperstore.com or directly from the manufacturers.

· Download our leaflet 'Its Clean - But Its NOT Clean'

· For tips, buy Nancy Birtwhistle’s book 'Clean & Green: 101 Hints and Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Home' (£10.99 at Waterstones)

· Watch out for our campaign launch in January

Drought Watch Update

6th December 2025 - our November update to our Itchen Drought Watch is published today. Head to our Drought Watch page for the latest.

CIC awarded grant by Network for Social Change for Household Cleaning Products campaign

28th November 2025 - we are excited to receive a crowd-funded grant from the Network for Social Change for our forthcoming campaign on household cleaning products.

Many of the cleaning products you buy in the supermarket contain chemicals which are harmful to aquatic life. When flushed or rinsed into waste water, these chemicals are generally not treated by the water water process, and end up in our rivers.

We will use the money to raise awareness of this issue, how it impacts our chalk streams, and how we can all make better choices for nature.

Thanks to the individuals who contributed to the crowd-funding, and to Sally who sponsored our project through the network !

Look out for details of the campaign in the New Year ... meanwhile, you can read our summary of recent research on chemicals in the Itchen, and check the small print on the label when you buy for 'Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects'.

Monthly Monitoring Summary for October

27th November 2025 - our summary of monitoring for October is published today.

You can read the monitoring summary here.

In October, we continued to see the effects of this year's drought, with invertebrate abundance lower at every site than last month.

Phosphate levels this month were the highest since we started monitoring, probably due to run-off due to recent rain.

Water levels still low, with some winterbourne stretches still dry.

CIC warns of further drought in 2026

24th November 2025 - we are predicting that the drought experienced on Hampshire chalk stream in 2025 will continue into 2026.

Today we have submitted evidence, based on our study comparing recent rainfall with historic trends, to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee.

You can read our submission here.

This chart, a cumulative rainfall plot, shows that up to the start of November, rain falling on the Upper Itchen was lower than in any of the previous 6 years.

If this trend continues, we could be heading for a severe drought, with consequences for the wildlife that depends on our chalk streams, as well as people.

CIC supports Amendment 94 to Planning & Infrastructure Bill

29th October 2025 - today we have written to Danny Chambers, MP for Winchester, asking him to support Amendment 94 to the Government's proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill when it returns to the House of Commons.

The Bishop of Norwich put down the Amendment in the House of Lords, seeking better protection for chalk streams in the controversial Bill.

He said : 'I am not convinced by [the government’s] arguments; … Amendment 94 seeks to protect chalk streams, this precious habitat which we are the custodians of. It aims to restore biodiversity and create a planning system that works with nature, not against it. At present, I am afraid, the Bill before us fails to do this for chalk streams.'

The Government may now reject these changes to the Bill. You can help stop this happening, by writing to your MP to ask them to support the chalk stream amendment.

Latest Condition Assessments for Itchen SSSIs by Natural England

20th October 2025 - in September, Natural England, the Government body which advises on the environment, published its latest assessment of the state of the SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) which cover most of the course of the River Itchen.

The review says that

"... new and challenging pressures are coming to light ... some successes but, in the most part, urgent action is needed to address serious issues"

It makes grim reading, with 'unfavourable, declining' status assigned to a number of the habitats and species which make the Itchen so special :

River and Streams (unfavourable no change)

Otter (favourable)

Atlantic Salmon (unfavourable declining)
Brook Lamprey (unfavourable no change)

White Clawed Crayfish (unfavourable no change)

Water Vole (unfavourable declining)

Breeding Birds (unfavourable no change)

Natural England highlights nutrient pollution and sedimentation as key issues :

Water quality is seriously impacted in most sections of the river. Despite investment to improve phosphate levels in sewage discharges from the larger wastewater treatment works, phosphate levels remain at levels which are likely to cause impacts on river ecology. Some of this will be derived from agriculture, small sewage treatment plants and domestic discharges.

Excessive levels of sedimentation continue to be a major problem in many parts of the river. Much of this is derived from agriculture, exacerbated by increased frequency of heavy rainfall events, but other major sources are sewage discharge points and run-off from roads. The problem is often compounded by slow flows caused by modification of the river channel. Sediment deposition results in loss of fish spawning habitat and makes it hard for aquatic plants to gain a foothold.

You can read the full condition assessment here - Natural England Itchen SSSI Condition Assessment 2025.

Monthly Monitoring Summary for September

9th October 2025 - our summary of monitoring for September is published today, featuring our (accidental) catch of the month, a beautiful wild Brown Trout which found its way into our net during a sample on the Candover.

You can read the monitoring summary here.

In September, despite some welcome rainfall we continued to see the effects of the drought, with one of our sites on the Cheriton flagged to the Environment Agency due to low invertebrate numbers.

The pictures on the right show the effect of low flow, sediment and high temperatures on the stream.

Alresford Show 2025

6th September 2025 - Upper Itchen Restoration CIC at the Alresford Show, with a sample of chalk stream invertebrates and displays of our projects

Micro-particulates Project on TV (BBC South)

1st September 2025 - see our micro-particulates project featured today on BBC South Today, as well as BBC Radio Solent, Heart FM and Voice FM Southampton

20250901 Upper Itchen Micro-particulate Project BBC South.mp4

Graham Flatt 1949 - 2025

22nd August 2025 - our friend and co-founder of Upper Itchen Restoration CIC, Graham Flatt, passed away yesterday.

A good friend of our river and the surrounding landscape, he looked after our Bighton Lane sampling site, close to the source of the Alre.

Here he is with one of his bee hives at the Bishop's Sutton BioBlitz in 2023.

Our thoughts are with the Flatt family.

Monitoring Summary Report for July

11th August 2025 - our summary of monitoring for July is published today, featuring our invertebrate of the month.

You can read it here.

In July, we contined to observe a hike in Phosphate levels on the Alre, with low flows on all sites as the drought takes hold.

New Interactive Phosphate Map

4th August 2025 - Upper Itchen Restoration CIC is working with the Test & Itchen Association on an interactive phosphate map of the Test, Itchen and Meon. You can view the first version here. By making nutrient levels in sensitive waters visible, this is the first step in our campaign for lower standards for phosphate and other nutrients in chalk streams.

The map shows the 60-plus locations on the 3 chalk rivers where volunteers sample water quality. You can use the map to see where the Environment Agency takes official samples and also where Southern Water discharges treated effluent from sewage works.

Let us know what you think !

BBC South visits Micro-Particulates Project

1st August 2025 - today Jon Cuthill, Environment and Climate Change correspondent for BBC South, came to film our micro-particulates project in action.

Volunteers collected samples from the River Alre, together with an invertebrate display and mini-aquaria to show some of the creatures affected by micro-plastic pollution.

Look out for the edited package on the BBC Website in August !

CIC calls on Southern Water to do more on Drought

14th July 2025 - we have a drought in Hampshire, with low water levels in our rivers. The Itchen at Ovington is only 25cm (6 inches) deep !

Southern Water is applying to the Environment Agency for a hosepipe ban (Temporary Use Ban, or TUB) to come into force on 21st July. We say that this action should have been taken earlier, to protect our precious chalk streams which provide much of Hampshire's drinking water.

We have asked Southern Water to publish figures for its abstraction from the Itchen at Totford and Otterbourne.

Meanwhile, let's all do what we can to reduce our water use - see our Publications page.

You can read about the TUB at www.southernwater.co.uk/help-and-support/temporary-use-ban-advice/.

Monitoring Summary Report for June 2025

8th July 2025 - our summary of monitoring for June is published today, featuring our invertebrate of the month.

You can read it here.

In June, we observed a hike in Phosphate levels on the Alre, perhaps a result of the low river flows after recent hot weather.

Removing Invasive Plant Species on the Candover

4th July 2025 - working party today at West Lea Farm Shop cress beds, removing invasive Monkeyflower.

Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is a perennial wetland plant with attractive yellow flowers, but it forms dense stands from its creeping roots, which create thick mats. Although it has some value for bumblebees, it can out-compete native emergent plants, and over time may cover a whole watercourse, altering flow and disrupting the ecosystem. Originating in North America, it contains substances which deter herbivores from eating it.

From our surveys, there is a lot of it on the Upper Itchen streams this year. We are removing it !

If you see Monkeyflower in a river, stream or pond, then let us know on upperitchenrestorationcic@gmail.com.

Garden and Green Fair, Alresford

29th June 2025 - Upper Itchen Restoration CIC stand today at the Garden and Green event in Broad Street, Alresford - part of the Winchester Garden Festival.

Alongside our usual river invertebrate displays, we were talking to visitors about how to choose household cleaning products which do less harm to nature, and how to save water in the garden and at home.

See our latest leaflets

Household Cleaning Products

Saving Water in the Garden

Letter to the Hampshire Chronicle on Drought in the Itchen

26th June 2025 - today we wrote to the Editor of the Hampshire Chronicle, calling for water conservation measures to avert an impending drought on the Itchen.

Read the letter here.

Also, Dr Martin Burton has produced a report proposing a new method of drought prediction, as climate change brings us hotter, drier summers. Read it here.

Monitoring Summary Report for May 2025

19th June 2025 - our summary of monitoring for May is published today, featuring an unusual invertebrate of the month, which is new to our monitoring !

You can read it here.

Working with Environment Agency on Road Run-off in the Upper Itchen

12th June 2025 - today we took a representative of the Environment Agency on a walk-over of 4 sites where we know sediment is running off local roads into our chalk streams. Proposals are being documented to mitigate these issues, so that we can approach Hampshire Highways and landowners with a view to resolving these issues.

At one site, Drove Lane on the Alre, we have been able to demonstrate from sampling data that invertebrates sensitive to sediment have declined in the past 2 years.

Monitoring Summary Report for April 2025

5th June 2025 - our summary of monitoring for April is published today, featuring our creatures of the month.

You can read it here.

Hampshire WI discusses household cleaning products

1st May 2025 - today's panel discussion at the Womens' Institute 'Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife' campaign featured 2 of our directors, Martin Burton and Nick Walton, speaking about how we can all make choices in household cleaning products to benefit our rivers.

See our leaflet on the topic here.

Monitoring Summary Report for March 2025

7th April 2025 - our summary of monitoring for March is published today, featuring our invertebrates of the month.

You can read it here.

Upper Itchen Restoration CIC awarded grant to monitor Oxygen levels in River

March 2025 - Upper Itchen Restoration CIC has been awarded a generous grant by Winchester City Council under its Community Small Grants Scheme. This will enable us to add Dissolved Oxygen (DO) testing to our monitoring.

Good levels of DO are essential to many creatures living in the river. In particular, brown trout depend on high levels of DO, and their eggs will not develop without it. This is also true of many invertebrates, such as mayflies.

We believe that DO levels in the Itchen are not always sufficient for a healthy ecosystem. One factor is climate change (because warmer water can hold less oxygen, and our data shows gradual warming of water). Another is excess nutrients, which can cause algal blooms (like that of 2022), resulting in fluctuations in DO which impact on creatures living in the river – see our explainer on Eutrophication on our Nutrient Pollution page.

Appledown Lane Waste Water Treatment Works, Alresford

February 2025 - Southern Water has agreed to include a tracer study at the Appledown Lane waste water treatment works in Alresford in its planned programme of work, known as AMP8, for 2025-30. The Appledown Lane works discharges treated effluent into groundwater. Although this effluent has been treated at the works, it still contains levels of phosphate and other nutrients which could impact the chalk aquifer and the Upper Itchen ecosystem. Noone knows where this discharged effluent goes underground ! The tracer study is intended to find the route this waste water takes through the fissures in the underlying chalk, to establish if there are any negative impacts.

Upper Itchen Restoration CIC awarded grant for monitoring

January 2025 - Upper Itchen Restoration CIC has been awarded a generous grant of £1,000 by New Alresford Town Council (NATC) to support continuing monitoring of water quality. The money will enable us to purchase consumables for other sampling equipment to continue monitoring at 10 river locations for 2 years up to 2027.

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