there are startling figures on the number of intensive poultry farms that have sprung up. powys council only started keeping records from 2018. but we discovered the rapid growth in intensive farming started a decade earlier. since 2008, planning has been extended to dozens of poultry farms and barn extensions every year. today, there are now more than 300 intensive poultry farms with the capacity for 9.6 million chickens. many believe this rapid expansion is causing pollution in the wye. but with poor water quality monitoring across the uk, there is currently no evidence of a direct link.
but further down river, they are too high. and that s putting wildlife at risk. 0tters have thrived in parts of the wye, along with other many rare species. it s one of the most protected rivers in britain because of this rich wildlife. all of our rivers in wales are now at risk of extinction from salmon and sea trout. gail david walsh has over 20 years experience in the water industry. she says that farming and sewage are having a combined affect. it s much more than that direct species and habitats within the river. so our river is the source of drinking water, it s used by farmers as crop irrigation,
i knew that i would want to do, which is why i m still here now and i m wanting to carry on the farm. gemma works on herfamily farm next to one of the rivers that feeds into the wye, along with her dad they raise cows, sheep and chickens. feeding them keeps gwen busy as does dealing with a mountain of manure. that muck is gathered underneath this barn. so what happens to it then? some of the manure is collected and they are but there s always a bit of runoff. where does it is a go? see the trench there? down that trench there, down through the grid there. there is a manhole there. it holds about 3000 gallons. you see that muck floating on the top of the water? in a month or six weeks, that ll run in.
to start fixing the problem muck spreading should be stopped completely in some parts of the wye. there s a lot of algae. ew, you don t have to go in, it s all slimy. for those who get out on the river regularly, the current state of the wye is having a real impact. ew. we like swimming and jumping offa rock and stuff when everything looked 0k. i think about a year- and a half, maybe two years ago, the whole river went green in the water. - then one of their friends became ill. we all get a bit scared so we kind of stayed on paddle boards rather than going in and accidentally consuming the water.
today, there are now more than 300 intensive poultry farms with the capacity for 9.6 million chickens. many believe this rapid expansion is causing pollution in the wye. but with poor water quality monitoring of a direct link. hi, how we doing? scientists here approach the problem from a different angle, looking at how much muck is being produced in the wye catchment. where you have these high areas of intensive livestock production, you end up with too much phosphorus available in the manure there to go on to the land.