You can now sign Save Windermere's new open letter. Go to www.savewindermere.com and join the likes of Chris Packham, Paul Whitehouse, the Wildlife Trusts, Surfers Against Sewage, and more, who are calling for all political parties to commit to giving Windermere greater protection ahead of the General Election.
As well as adding your name you can also send an email to your MP.
In the face of a changing climate, not enough has been done by government or regulators to protect England’s most iconic lake from sewage dumping. Currently, Windermere does not benefit from any special designation or enhanced protection, to appropriately reflect the economic, environmental and cultural significance of the lake. Consequently, Windermere has been exploited for many years, as the water company prioritises shareholder dividends and the regulator, who recently admitted to withholding information and obscuring the truth, continuously fails to hold United Utilities accountable for the blatant ecological damage being done.
Windermere is not just England's largest lake; it also has unique cultural practices, such as Arctic Charr fishing, a contributing factor to its UNESCO World Heritage designation, that is now at risk. It has ecological significance, being home to rare and protected species such as the Charr, Atlantic Salmon, river lamprey, sea lamprey, brook lamprey, and white clawed crayfish. It is also economically significant, as the area is visited by millions of people every year. In 2019, a report by the EA and Cumbria Tourism stated that it contributed around £750 million to the economy.
Despite this, the lake is being degraded by pollution. It was recently revealed that United Utilities illegally discharged 10 million litres of untreated sewage into the lake on a single night in February 2024. This is just one example of widespread illegal sewage dumping around Windermere.
Save Windermere is calling for a complete end to sewage pollution in England's largest lake. This will give Windermere the protection that is required to ensure it is adaptable to climate change and to ensure a lasting environmental legacy for this country forever.
Environmental protection does not seem to fit into our political framework. We need people to act now to protect our natural resources for the next 1000 years, not just for the next election cycle. The protection of Windermere should not be politicised and it should not be contentious, this is about the long term protection of one of this country's greatest natural assets for future generations.
This letter is backed by Chris Packham, Paul Whitehouse, Surfers Against Sewage, The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, Wildfish, SOS Whitstable, CPRE, Campaigns for National Parks, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Lake District, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, Ilkley Clean River, the Matson Ground Estate, and the Graythwaite Estate. More will be added to this initial list in the coming weeks. If you’re a business or organisation that wants to add your name to the letter please reach out.
“Windermere is one of this country’s most important natural assets. It needs greater protection and it needs to be free from sewage. We urge all parties to take action and commit to protecting Windermere for future generations.”
Chris Packham