Here is a link to a very interesting article which explains just how little regard there is for all things natural, when it comes to greed….. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/flooding-public-spending-britain-europe-policies-homes
This also goes a long way to explaining why – in recent years – the low levels of our rivers have been so low so fast, and probably why the habitat for all river life has become less sustainable.