If you are in Bradford right now, what are the chances that under you is a moving underground river?
Did you know that rivers actually flow underneath Bradford? Did you know these rivers were deliberately covered? And that uncovering these could benefit several ecosystems?
Well, if you didn’t, don’t worry, as it’s not common knowledge. But now that we do know let’s take a look at their history, why it’s crucial to keep them and why the rivers should really be uncovered.
So why were the rivers covered in the first place? Around a hundred years ago quite a few of England’s rivers were so polluted that they were effectively open sewers, so much so, that they could even catch fire (this was due to their emissions of flammable, horrid gases like hydrogen sulphide).
In the 19th Century the solution in Bradford was to cover the rivers up. It also meant that there was more land for the expanding industrial city to build on. (This was definitely not a normal thing to do - The National Geographic for example only mentions 11 city rivers, Bradford included, throughout the world given this grand treatment.)
Sewage plants were also added, and flood schemes implemented even as late as the 1990s. However, over time, the covered rivers have become largely forgotten, even today the water underneath Bradford is still polluted because of combined sewer overflow and wrongly connected drainage sewers. But thanks to an extraordinary team of volunteers who form the group Friends of Bradford’s Becks, awareness and calls to action is growing.
The City Bugle team met up with Professor Barney Lerner from the group to find out more.
City Bugle: How many rivers run under Bradford?
Professor Lerner: There is the main river which has different names; from the upstream end, Pinch Beck, Clayton Beck, Middlebrook, Bradford Beck. It has lots of tributaries including High Berks Beck, PItty Beck, Westbrook, Bowling Beck, Eastbrook and Red Beck. You can see the named ones on the sketch map where you can see which one are underground and which are still visible on the surface. There are other tributaries which have been lost and turned into drains.
If you live in the city of Bradford see if are you affected:
City Bugle: Well done to your team for making Bradford Beck less polluted than before. How did you manage it?
Professor Lerner: We have had several campaigns where volunteers have gone out regularly to either sample or observe the rivers in dry weather - the pollution is often visible as discolouration. We report any pollution to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060. Anyone can do this, so I hope your readers learn the number and use it! We made enough observations to be able to compile a report arguing that there was a problem. This persuaded the Environment Agency to require Yorkshire Water to work with us to find and solve some of the problems. But there are still more, so we always looking for volunteers who would like to take a turn pollution spotting.
Here is the rest of our conversation:
How would you physically get the river back into the open?
In the short term there are few places where the river could be brought back into the open because it runs under so many buildings and roads. We are starting with a daylighting project alongside Canal Rd because there the culvert is through an open area of green space.
Do open rivers benefit the environment - if yes, how?
Open rivers are ecologically richer and more diverse. It is easier to see problems like pollution and blockages which means they can be fixed quickly and easily.
How did you get into protecting the environment?
I have worked in the environmental field all my adult life, from my first job as an engineer and hydrologist in a precursor to the Environment Agency.
Could the underground rivers flood Bradford?
Yes. They have in the past. Although a flood diversion tunnel was built in the 1990s, climate change and increased urbanisation (more houses, more tarmac and impermeable surfaces, etc) mean that the risks of floods is always increasing.
What are the threats to Bradford with increasing climate change?
There is definitely a threat of more flooding because of more frequent and intense rainfall. There a plenty of other threats not specifically related to water too.
Do you think that companies that pollute rivers should face action. For example should Premier Inn be held accountable for the pollution of River Eastbrook?
Yes. They are discharging all the sewage from the hotel directly into the Eastbrook. It is illegal. It also goes against their public Environment Policy.
Thank you Professor Lerner. If you live in one of the cities that has underground rivers, from Vienna, to Bradford, to New York, get behind your local campaign group like the Friends of Bradford’s Becks or create one of your own to uncover these magnificent flowing rivers wherever possible, and where uncovering is almost impossible, at least clean them to create, “Gardens of Paradise under which rivers flow.”