The areas around the Great Stour and Little Stour rivers are often called the Kentish Stour Catchment. The Kentish Stour Catchment covers most of East Kent, including some of the South Downs, The Weald and the lowlands downstream of Canterbury. Any rain falling on this area will drip off trees, drain from buildings, soak through soil and rocks, run through streams and rivers and eventually flow into the sea at Pegwell Bay, near Ramsgate.
The River Stour is just like most other rivers. If you look at a map of East Kent (click here to view the water catchment map) you will notice the Great Stour starts near Lenham. It is joined by the East Stour at Ashford, before making its way through the Chalk of the North Downs towards Canterbury. Before reaching the sea it is joined by the Little Stour at Plucks Gutter. The upper reaches of the Little Stour are known as The Nailbourne, a stream which only runs after a period of prolonged rainfall. Between April 2000 and March 2001 more rain fell on Britain than any extended time since records began over 200 years ago. As a result, the Nailbourne didn't just flow, it caused serious flooding problems for many months.

A few large towns can be found within The Kentish Stour Catchment, with the population estimated at 476,000 by 2001, an increase of 5.6% since 1991. This resident population doubles in the summer as holidaymakers either head for the beaches of the area, visit historic centres like Canterbury, or pass through the channel ports or the Channel Tunnel. Probably increasing the population by over 25 million short term visitors, all of whom flush toilets which put a massive burden on the river's water resources.
The main landuse is agriculture, but there is some industry around Ashford and Canterbury. The quarrying of river gravel has been important for about 100 years, being used to make concrete for local buildings, roads and other structures. Many of these old gravel pits have filled with water, leaving lakes next to the river. The Broad Oak Nature Reserve in Canterbury was once a large gravel pit, but is now home to a National Grid substation and a fascinating nature reserve.
The Wealden Clay, which lies under ground upstream of Ashford, prevents water from soaking into the ground, leading to flood risk during periods of heavy rainfall. Downstream of Ashford, the Chalk of the North Downs is very porous and allows rainwater to soak in. Flooding is therefore not normally a problem in the lower reaches of the river. In fact a number of agricultural users remove water from the river, causing concerns about too little water, not too much!
Click here to open a seperate browser with aerial photographs along the Great Stour River.

The Environment Agency has a responsibility for the health and natural beauty of the river. The general public do not have access to the river along much of its length, although public footpaths run along the river bank through most of Canterbury. The Stour Valley Walk follows the river valley for much of its course.
Fishing and boating activities are important in the lower tidal reaches of the river, with Richborough Port a small commercial centre near the mouth of the river (see the above photograph).

The river is managed to prevent flooding and to control water use, as well as looking after boat users on the river.

Fortunately people are more interested in making the river more attractive, including planting trees, making the channel more natural and creating natural wetland areas next to the river. Preventing flooding is still necessary, but not at the expense of the scenery and wildlife of the river.
A number of conflicts can arise, including demand for good quality drinking water in an area where it can be affected by the fertilizers added to farm land. Sea water is entering some of the disused coal mines of the area and could eventually contaminate the water supply. Too much water removal may create problems for boating, fishing and even drinking water if the river flow is too low during dry periods. Water removal is an issue in the upper reaches also, with rivers such as the Nailbourne running dry in most years. After the heavy rains of 2000/2001 this will probably be less of a problem, for a few years at least!
River pollution is constantly monitored by the Environment Agency, but many people are concerned about old landfill sites, where household and industrial rubbish is dumped. These sites are sometimes referred to as 'ticking time-bombs', with worries over leaks from them into our rivers.
Flooding is an increasing risk, due to urban development or climate changes caused by global warming. Global warming causes rises in sea level and freakish rainfall conditions. Rain falling in urban areas is quickly diverted into the rivers, which can then flood. This is much less of a problem in more natural areas, where the vegetation and soil provide for much slower movement of water. The rise in sea level caused by global warming and the collapse of old coal mines in the area, threaten the lower course of the river.
Farming and conservation can be in conflict, with farmers under increasing pressure to be more productive and profitable. However their actions may upset the growing numbers of people interested in wildlife, its enjoyment and conservation. This conflict also applies to those wishing to use the river for recreation activities such as fishing, boating and walking.