River floods

As a group i think we are prone to burying our heads in the sand at the sign of a potential problem and i am as guilty as the next guy but something on breakfast tv really made my ears prick.
An MP is calling on the EA to dredge the river Severn so as to ease the flood problem for the people who live on it's banks.
There is already a body lobbying to make it navigatable higher up than now, it takes little to work out this could work out to their advantage.
It's obviouse that the government will be under pressure to ease the flood problem and they will have to respond in someway.
Are we about to see the begining of the end for our major rivers as they are turned into huge drains or is my imagination working overtime?

I have a horrible suspicion that you are right to be alarmed and it is an issue that anglers will have to be prepared to fight and hard.

For many years there has been a lobby to make the Severn navigable beyond its present Stourport limit. I guess the recent floods will be seen by many of the lobbyists as an opportunity to grasp.
One advantage for the anglers, is that on the Severn issue, we are not alone. On our 'side' are also conservationists, birdies and the like who would generally like to see the river kept the way it is.
Of course, many years ago, the Severn had boats on it right up into Wales. But then they were all working boats. This was before the days of pleasure cruisers, even before the concept of leisure time.
And it was also before the introduction of barbel.....

No disrespect but although i love to fish for barbel i don't hold them in any greater esteem than any other species, my concern is for the river system as a whole and it is that issue we will have to fight on if the time comes.