[5] The river is subject to pollution from a range of diffuse and point sources, including sewage discharge, urban development and poor livestock management.
[6] Environment Agency data shows that in 2023, the river was polluted by Severn Trent Water on 106 occasions, totaling 335 hours of continuous discharge.
Historic and ongoing pollution has led to a complete kill of a four mile stretch of the river below the Severn Trent Water sewage treatment plant at Checkley.
[citation needed] Published Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data shows that raw sewage discharges from the Combined Sewer Outfalls (CSO) are increasing in frequency, even during dry periods.
[citation needed] At least one angling club operates along the river, which supports populations of grayling and brown trout, with lesser numbers of river chub, common dace and Perch.