The River Rother, who forms the heart and soul of the South Downs National Park, including its many tributaries draining from Empshott and to the north of Liss in the West, to their 'meet' at the river Arun in the East, is the largest biological feature of the South Downs National Park (SDNPA), save the chalk downs. In Petersfield, the River Rother tours our northern area through Sheet and Rotherlands Nature Reserve and then goes off into West Sussex at Durleighmarsh.

The second ever Rother Partnership Summit took place last week at the SDNPA HQ in Midhurst, and it brought together all the stakeholders involved, including the co-ordinator Western Sussex Rivers Trust, Southern Water, the Environment Agency, East Hants and Chichester councils, and land-owners along its length (including individual farmers, community groups, and the National Trust), to examine how together we can try to improve the quality and biodiversity of our river, as well as improve access to it. Exciting case-studies were presented from the National Trust's Woolbeding Estate's river and nature enhancement work, and from the Cowdray Estate and their renaturing work at Town Meadow, which includes re-flooding.

The many threats to the health of the River Rother, including sewage outfalls, agricultural chemicals, invasive species and, especially, siltation, were examined, as well as the efforts being taken to combat these, including new schemes from Southern Water.

As your PeCAN representative, I joined a workshop looking at public access to the river, especially at the obstacles to our knowing the River Rother better (after all, the River Wye and River Avon, for example, seem to have iconic status). The suggestions ranged from joining up the sites that are accessible to people and engaging the public with better outreach and information. Linear projects, such as the Liss Riverside Railway Walk and the (now progressing) Rother Valley Way, were felt to be the best way for people to get to know our river better. Guided walks, such as the one Liz Bisset organised for PeCAN last summer, and better information boards close to public areas, would also help to raise awareness and interest in the River Rother.

Other workshops included citizen science projects such as surveying and monitoring, renaturing the floodplain, removal of solid structures such as weirs, and erosion.

PeCAN's next river walk will feature the Criddell Stream, a tributary of the Rother, and will cover many of the issues that were raised, as well as look at the riverine flora and fauna of Goodyer Meadows.

Join us on Saturday 15th June - more details to follow.