Plea to keep the River Annan rubbish free

CONCERNS about levels of rubbish in the River Annan were raised in Moffat this week.

Long-time resident Roy Anderton-Tyres shared his upset at the current state of the river and appealed for those who live along its banks to take better care.

He said: “Every rainfall spell brings rubbish that has been tipped into the river, including fertilizer/feed sacks, animal product buckets, baling twine, plastic debris and plastic bags of all hues.

“Some are caught on tree roots etcetera, awaiting the next high water, while others wash past us to further pollute the rest of the river, the Solway Firth, Irish Sea and the world’s oceans.

“I appeal to the limited number of properties abutting the River Annan north of Hope Johnstone Park to stop this blatant pollution and recycle their rubbish.”

Weighing in on the situation, a spokesperson for Moffat and District Community Council said: “There are other sources of environmental damage, industry is one, and in our rural situation the key industries are farming and forestry.

“Our local farmers do all they can to maintain our beautiful landscape, and are very careful about their impact on the local environment, which is after all their key asset.

“The Annan is a conserved river, it’s protected because it carries important populations of eels and Atlantic salmon, but rivers and burns do collect and then deposit visibly all that has fallen into, flowed into, or blown into their watercourses and catchment areas.

“By the time the Annan reaches Moffat, flowing down from the watersheds of the Tweed and Clyde above the Devils Beef Tub, the Annan has been collecting detritus and litter from an area of some 40 square miles or more. It’s because we are generally so appreciative of Moffat and the River Annan, so appreciative of Annandale generally, and so careful and protective of our rivers and burns’ clean and healthy status, that we do notice and are concerned about even small amounts of litter and other forms of pollution that would probably pass unnoticed elsewhere.

“Keeping Moffat litter and rubbish free, dog poo free, and our rivers clean and healthy does require constant consideration and vigilance, and when there is a problem starting to develop, the issues do need to be out there for public awareness.”