[1] The river was once flanked by extensive marsh-lands and reed-beds, but these were filled in to build the town centre and a rubbish dump.

At one time it was possible to travel by boat from the town centre to the River Gardens Hotel, which was a popular Sunday activity.

Siltation eventually made this impossible, until the river was dredged a number of times in the 1990s.

The river is now flanked in a portion by a nature reserve called Ilanda Wilds.

The river and nature reserve are home to a number of rare and endangered species, and high biodiversity compared to the size of the area.