A public meeting has been called about the health of the River Ure amid concerns about pollution and the effect on wildlife.

The Association of Rural Communities is sponsoring the meeting, which will be held in Leyburn Methodist Church Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday, April 30.

The meeting will particularly focus on the River Ure and its tributaries between Appersett and Masham, and comes on the back of the formation of the Richmond-based Save Our Swale campaign. Volunteers in that group are working to keep the Swale clean for water-based recreation and wildlife.

Darlington and Stockton Times: People picnicking and bathing at the Middle Falls at Aysgarth

Regarding the Ure, a spokesperson for Association of Rural Communities said: "We are hearing about regular sewage discharges into the river and the becks and of a considerable drop in the number of fish. So we need to collect reliable evidence to identify where the problems are and what is causing them."

The association's chairman, Alastair Dinsdale raised the issue at the October meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s planning committee. He was very concerned about the sewerage treatment plant at Aysgarth Falls which discharges directly into the river above the Middle Falls. "There is anecdotal evidence that this is at capacity," he said.

He also told the planning committee: "These plants work on bacteria and will not work with amounts of fats, oils, cleaning chemicals, disinfectants. According to the Environment Agency the Upper Dales Yore Catchment has a problem with phosphate pollution, the cause of algae blooms. Phosphates are a major ingredient of cleaning products and probably responsible for 90 per cent of the problem in the catchment due to outdated and ineffective sewerage plants."

There will be a presentation by the Yorkshire Dales River Trust at the meeting on Tuesday to explain how volunteers can be safely involved in water sampling and protecting the river.

Its volunteer and engagement officer, Jenny Lee said: "Our rivers have suffered from acute loss of species and habitat, and toxic pollution – a perilous situation being further compounded by the impact of climate change."

There will also be a short presentation by a National Park Authority farm conservation advisor about catchment sensitive farming and the authority’s work on the Ure, plus reports by residents about frequent sewage discharges and the considerable drop in the number of fish in the river’s head waters.

It is hoped that a group will be formed similar to Save our Swale, the Nidd Action Group, and the Ilkley Clean River Group.