Campaigners called for “destructive” practices at a Lynn river to be halted during a recent event.

Last Sunday, residents gathered at the South Quay in Lynn during high tide to celebrate World Rivers Day with stories, poems, and songs.

Organised by Extinction Rebellion Lynn, the event drew around 15 participants and passers-by, who paused to listen and reflect.

The gathering was both a celebration and a call to care for rivers, especially the Gaywood River – one of the world’s rare chalk streams.

Only around 200 such rivers exist globally, yet the group is vocal in its worries that the Gaywood stream suffers from pollution, chemical run-off, dredging, and habitat loss.

Jenny Walker, one of the organisers, said: “Typically, chalk streams’ crystal clear water bubbles up through chalk, their gentle flow allows plants and wildlife to flourish.

“Sadly, the Gaywood River, which flows from a chalk ridge near Gayton to Lynn, does not match this description. It is polluted by sewage and chemical run off from fields.

“Going back in time, the lower reaches of the river have been straightened, which destroys wildlife habitats and increases the risk of flooding.”

As part of the event, participants read aloud the ‘Rights of the River’, principles affirming that rivers have the right to flow freely, remain unpolluted, support biodiversity, and regenerate.

This symbolic act highlighted the growing global movement to recognise rivers not just as resources, but as living ecosystems essential to all life.

The group pointed to practical steps that could help revive the Gaywood River – stopping “destructive dredging”, holding Anglian Water accountable for sewage releases, and encouraging landowners to create buffer strips of permanent vegetation along waterways.

World Rivers Day, celebrated in more than 100 countries, aims to raise awareness of the vital role rivers play in sustaining people, wildlife, and cultures.