Conclusion 24

The Rivers Trust’s report came five years after a report by the World Wildlife Foundation found that more than three quarters of chalk streams were failing to meet the required ‘good’ status. We questioned whether the Environment Agency was showing enough urgency to deal with this problem. The Environment Agency explained that it has established the Revitalising Chalk Rivers programme which has improved over 70km of chalk stream habitat so far, although it recognises that more work is needed and that there remains a clear and present danger to chalk streams.50 The Department told us that partnership grants are provided to charities and stakeholder groups. In 2020–21, this will include £882,000 to projects specifically for the improvement of chalk streams and chalk habitat, which through match funding and partnership contributions the Department said it had secured would result in a total investment of over £2 million.51