3RiverCleanup - Qwag Events

QWAG ran two successful tasks this year as part of the 3RiversCleanup. The first, departing from Gilmore Road (Click here to see slideshow), attracted 17 volunteers and collected about 25 sacks of rubbish plus pulling a small amount of Himalayan balsam. The second, departing from Manor Park (Click here to see slideshow), attracted 21 volunteers and one radio reporter! They collected about 12 sacks of rubbish and again pulled a limited amount of Himalayan balsam. The balsam was left to compost near the Quaggy, and the rubbish was removed and picked up by Lewisham Council. You may wonder why the balsam was in short supply: it's because we keep pulling it each year. This annual plant, if not allowed to flower, naturally declines in quantity as the residual seed bank is used up. So the hard work of volunteers each year really does pay dividends in controlling this particular invasive species.
Julia Grollman (Task Leader)
For more information about 3RiversCleanup .

The group formed to fight flood alleviation proposals for the river which would have destroyed its remaining natural sections by encasing them in concrete channels and culverts. The group successfully proposed and championed a very different scheme that reached completion in May 2007.

This scheme requires naturalised sections of the river and uses large open spaces beside it for temporary water storage in times of flood. The largest of these is Sutcliffe Park (above). Its transformation from an underused park to an urban oasis for wildlife has recently won two prestigious awards.

Until QWAG intervened, the River Quaggy in south east London had suffered a fate typical of urban rivers. Much of its flood plain had disappeared under the relentless growth of the suburbs. In a vicious circle, the inevitable flooding that followed led to misguided alleviation measures that only made the problem worse. By 1990 much of the river flowed lifelessly in concrete channels and culverts, awaiting the seemingly inevitable coup de grace.

Since its formation, QWAG has promoted, initiated and taken part in restoration projects along the Quaggy. In 2002 a much acclaimed naturalisation scheme broke out the river from its hedge-lined concrete channel in Chinbrook Meadows, recreating a natural meandering stream (below).

QWAG has proved that by restoring the Quaggy we can bring wildlife, education, amenity and beauty into the fabric of our urban environment. Our challenges now are to achieve further restoration and protect the river from the many threats to its well-being. Why not join QWAG and help us help the Quaggy?