THE public have only weeks left to comment on plans for the region’s rivers and lakes for the next five years.

The Environment Agency’s River Basin Management Plan sets out how the Agency intends to look after these and other water environments such as estuaries and wetlands.

Since the first such plan was written in 2009 more than 20 kilometres of river and almost 800 hectares of wildlife habitats have seen improvements.

Examples include Middlesbrough Beacon Becks, a urban river restoration project involving the Agency, Middlesbrough Council and other groups such as Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.

Work has included removing about 350 metres of culverts, realigning and enhancing Marton West Beck as part of a new urban park, installing a sustainable urban drainage system and improved highway drainage to reduce flooding, improving water vole habitats, adding a pollution-reducing reed bed and identifying weirs to remove or modify.

The Agency said in the past six years it had carried out more than 700 investigations in order to tackle issues with the region’s waterways.

River basin planner Jeff Pacey said: “The water quality of our rivers, lakes and coasts has improved significantly over recent years, but there is much more that we can do.

“By commenting on these plans, you can play an important role in ensuring that our water environment continues to improve.”

Members of the public can view the new draft plan by visiting www.gov.uk and searching for “river basin update” or emailing views by April 10 2015 to NorthumbriaRBD@environment-agency.gov.uk or writing to Jeff Pacey, Environment Agency, Lateral, 8 City Walk, Leeds, LS11 9AT.