Hoveton Little (black Horse) Broad - Weed Warning.

[SteveO]

We called into Black Horse Broad yesterday for lunch and to watch the sailing for a couple of hours. We had to mudweight in the margins as racing was in progress and were concerned by the huge amount of weed growing around the edges of the broad, so I chose a spot where the weed was not lying on the surface. We often see weed at Black Horse but this year seems particularly bad for it. When we got back to our mooring we found that our forward heads would not flush. I investigated and found the flush water inlet hose to be rammed solid with weed, to a distance of around a foot.  Once removed, normal service was restored. I then decided to check the weed filter on the cooling water intake only to find the bottom half of this solid with weed.  

Black Horse is one of our favourite broads and it is sad to see it in its present state.  If you do visit in a motorboat I would strongly recommend that you check your weed filters afterwards.

[marshman]

I noticed exactly that issue - NB must check weed filter which I did not check!!!!!

Bits of Wroxham are getting worse too - several areas where I used to mudweight are now out of bounds as far as I am concerned. I suspect the biggest culprit is shower gel  - or rather what it contains!!

[BroadAmbition]

Explain please, I’m ignorant re the link between shower gel & weed. Tia

Griff

[Helian]

I suspect Bargate (Surlingham) is heading in the same direction. Last couple of times, even at higher tides, we did not stop, and our wake looked like a freshly mown lawn... Depth sounder wasn't too happy either!

[ChrisB]

8 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Explain please, I’m ignorant re the link between shower gel & weed. Tia

Griff

Some detergents contain phosphates and while they are generally of low toxidity they increase the nutrient levels leading to more weed growth and algae blooms.

If your grey water is direct discharge, then the use of phosphate free washing liquids and soaps is best.

[ChrisB]

Also people tend to use/waste alot more liquid hand and body wash than solid soaps.

[Vaughan]

At the risk of stirring the s X X X, it has been proven over many decades by many experts that waste from showers and galley washing-up water is worse for a river than sewage itself.

It has also been recognised that the old problems of pollution on the Broads came more from nitrate pollution by agricultural fertilisers than from sea toilets.

[YnysMon]

One thing about NBD that I liked was their provision of eco washing up liquid on their boats. A small gesture, but it did make me stop and think and prompted me to switch to using eco friendly shampoo and shower gel when on the Broads.

[rightsaidfred]

Weed growth has been increasing and spreading on the broads for years with the clearer water, it is the same on many other waterways as well including my local rivers, at one time it was blamed on the run off from farms and sewage works, there are many factors involved and while  boaters have a degree of impact there are generally fewer boats now than a few years ago especially during lockdown.

Fred

[Vaughan]

Back in the 60's there was serious pressure about pollution from boats and extremely adverse press publicity, which was itself killing off the Broads quicker than the sewage!

So all the boatyards designed, manufactured, installed and paid for, the system of holding tank toilets that we know today.  It was only after this was in place that our suspicions were proved right and all the experts found that it made pretty well no difference!  So then they went searching after unprocessed sewage from towns, and the leaching of chemicals off farmer's fields.

I don't think the issue of "grey" water from washbasins and showers, has ever been properly addressed. At least not in this country.  It involves very large holding tanks and a complicated system to pump from the basins and showers into the tank.  Most existing Broads cruisers could not be adapted to such a system.  Not enough room.

The Crown Grand Classique, a luxury 10 berth boat in France, has an 800 litre holding tank system, for black and grey water.

One small point - polluted green water does not grow weeds.  It is cleaner, clear water that allows the sunlight onto the river bottom and allows the weeds to grow.  It has also (thankfully) allowed the lilies to grow again, which had become almost extinct during the early 70s.

[TheQ]

Yes it's actually because of the reduced pollution we have increased weed growth, Hickling broad Is also bad this year.

[BroadAmbition]

I generally see more and more lilies each year (not many Rosemary’s though)

Griff

P.S - what do you call a woman with a frog on her head? - Lilly !

[trambo]

Although aware of the phosphate problem from washing-up liquid, I was not aware of the shower-gel and liquid soap one. I take it this would also apply to shampoo.  Are there phosphate free personal care products available from a normal supermarket or is it a case of buying online?

Fred

[Smoggy]

So we should all sh#t over the side to keep down then?

[marshman]

And of course, it has a knock on impact on the continual problem of engine running - people have become obsessed with personal cleanliness and think nothing of having multiple showers a day. Absolutely imperative for some to have two or more showers a day - boats are just not geared up for this I am afraid.

Oh well, it will not bother me for much longer.........!!

[YnysMon]

24 minutes ago, trambo said:

Are there phosphate free personal care products available from a normal supermarket or is it a case of buying online?

If I recall correctly, I bought ours in Waitrose.

[rightsaidfred]

While I know the broads were originally man made they are and have been for hundreds of years part of a naturally evolving planet, yes mankind does have an impact on that evolution and trying to manage it but there are many factors involved, there is no one single cause and likewise no one size fits all solution, its time we accepted our limitations and learnt to live with things we can't fix.

Fred