Anyone who thinks these cuts will be good for the rivers had better think again. The situation with budget cuts of up to 50% for the EA will mean what money they have will be focused, targeted on their statutory obligations and the ones that get the general public hopping mad, and that's flooding to their property.
As flood defense is Stat Ob and if they fail to carry it out they are liable for mega bucks compo, they will, there is no doubt, indulge in a Scorched Earth flood defense policy on the rivers. That will mean vastly over dredging to keep the channels open for longer and free from the ability of it to hold obstructions/debris Trees on the banks are major contributes to this, so man with several chainsaws comoth to remove all of them.
Habitat and conservation improvements will become bygone words. These will be passed on to the
Big Society. Ergo they won't be done because of apathy of Society.
As staff are sacked, pollution monitoring will dwindle. Once that's known, those who pollute rivers deliberately, because it cheaper to pay the paltry fine, than dispose of it properly, will quickly get to know the chances of getting caught have dropped dramatically, so it worth it to increase their toxic load even more.
Some areas of pollution control will be covertly given up by the future overstretched policers and probably a diminution of regulations introduced by the backdoor by Government. In the National Interest of course, to boost the profits of the struggling private companies and the coffers of HM Treasury.
If you think its bad now, just wait 4 years when these cuts are really biting