Windermere Jetty Museum features in the first episode of Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers on BBC 2 which airs at 8pm on Sunday 5 March. Paul Whitehouse meets local zoologist, conservationist and campaigner Matt Staniek outside on the museum’s jetty to learn more about the water quality of Windermere.
During their visit Staniek and Whitehouse went out on the lake aboard 1930’s heritage steam launch Penelope II to get closer to the water and talk about what is going on beneath the surface.
In this new TV series, Whitehouse travels around England and Wales to explore why rivers and waterways are in decline and what needs to be done to protect them. In this episode he is looking at the impact water companies have on its rivers. Whitehouse explores the change in the water industry since privatisation in 1989 and what regulations are in place when it comes to sewage discharge into rivers. He meets Staniek, who warns of the ecological decline in Windermere, concerned locals in Yorkshire looking to highlight the health of the River Wharfe, and the man at the front of the battle for the country’s waterways, Feargal Sharkey.
In the Lake District National Park a new Love Windermere partnership was launched in July 2022. It’s the biggest ever cooperation of sectors to tackle challenges in the lake. The group is developing evidence-based, long-term plans to maintain and improve water quality in the lake while balancing the needs of nature, the community and the local economy. Led by the Environment Agency, the partnership includes the Freshwater Biological Association; Lake District Foundation; Lake District National Park Authority; National Farmers Union; National Trust; South Cumbria Rivers Trust and United Utilities.
Lake District National Park Authority’s chief executive, Richard Leafe, said: “Windermere plays a key role in the lives of communities and visitors to the National Park, so it’s vital we work together with partners to improve the health of the lake. Love Windermere is set to be the most ambitious environmental partnership to date and we’re proud to take part. From individual action on septic tanks to working with land managers and the utility company, the programme will combine expertise with new data to tackle the current challenges and bring long term benefits to everyone who enjoys Windermere and the National Park beyond.”
Caroline Robinson, Head of Innovation and Business Development said; “We were delighted to host Mat and Paul at Windermere Jetty Museum to highlight this important environmental topic. The building’s significant relationship to the lake, and its setting in the Lake District National Park, is reflected in our strategies for water, land use, and ecology. Reed beds adjacent to the building provide natural treatment and mitigation of surface water run off, prior to it going into the lake. The landscaping is designed to support biodiversity, water use has been minimised and sustainable drainage strategies implemented.”
Campaigner Matt Staniek said, “I’ve been running my Save Windermere campaign to stop sewage pollution in our lake for the past 19 months, it relies on spreading awareness as far and as wide as possible, so it was an absolute pleasure being able to speak with Paul Whitehouse about the threats that Windermere is facing for his TV series about water quality in the UK. Hopefully after Sunday’s show you can see where we all need to put our attention and why we must now fight to Save Windermere.”
Watch the episode live on Sunday 5 March at 8pm on BBC 2 or catch it on iPlayer
