River Misbourne under threat say Chiltern Society

The society, based in Chesham, has been campaigning for test portions of the river below Chalfont St Giles Mill to be 'lined' with clay where it first disappears into the ground. It could then flow past Chalfont St Peter to meet the River Colne.
Even with the heavy rainfall, the river is still virtually non-existant below the mill until Gerrards Cross golf course, partly because of over abstraction of water by Thames Valley and Three Valleys Water.
But the agency has refused the plan because of a loss of biodiversity due to the clay lining.
Roger Lerry, chairman of the Chiltern Society Rivers and Wetlands Group, said: "There is no biodiversity in a dried up river bed just weeds and rubbish. We are proposing limited lining on one small section to provide full biodiversity in a least a further 4 KM of what is currently a non existent river."
The agency wants further investigations of other ways of solving the problem with possibility of funding and action in 10 to 15 years.
Much of the problem of low flow was solved in 1998 by reducing abstraction and the upstream flow in Amersham has improved, but downstream the problem remains.
The Chiltern Society's plan was supported by grou ps such as Misbourne River Action, which is prepared to maintain the lined length, local authorities and The Chiltern Conservation Board.