Why is the Thames so brown?

It's a common misconception that because the Thames is brown and murky, it must be dirty and polluted. But this isn't the case! All estuaries are hugely important for sediment transportation, so the reason the Thames is brown is because of the huge amounts of sediment and mud naturally transported with the daily tides.



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Fish in the Thames There is an incredible 125 species of fish that have been found living amongst the animals in the Thames, and this includes species of conservation and commercial importance.

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For the cleanest water in Europe: The Lobau River, Austria Just east of Vienna, the Lobau River runs through the Donau-Auen National Park.

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The river Thames in London was so starved of oxygen in August 2022, due to sewage and hot weather, that it was effectively on life support, New Scientist can reveal. A specialised boat was used to directly inject the gas into the water for 11 days that month to prevent plants and fish dying.

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The Thames is considered to be the cleanest river in the world that flows through a major city. The Thames is home to 125 species of fish and more than 400 invertebrates.

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Between Teddington and Chelsea the tidal Thames is freshwater, from Chelsea downstream it becomes more mixed (brackish) until it becomes a marine environment below Greenwich. This change in salt levels impacts the types of fish and wildlife you find in different stretches of the river.

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I have caught large fish in the Thames-and eaten some of them. A Perch of around a pound fried in butter is delicious.

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