Warning signs have been erected on the banks of the River Lim due to the level of E.coliLocals living alongside a once-idyllic Dorset river have declared it “ecologically dead” after the amount of human waste overflowing into it tripled in less than a year. The River Lim, which flows into the sea at Lyme Regis, used to be a thriving ecosystem with trout, eels and kingfishers living along its course. A retired freshwater ecologist carried out a recent survey which found there were “barely any” invertebrates in the river. Without mussels, larvae and snails, the bottom of the food chain is cut off, reducing the number of larger species that can survive. Data gathered by the River Trust showed a steep rise in human waste surging into the river from storage tanks at a nearby SWW treatment centre.

Source: The Times May 11, 2023 08:14 UTC