of white flowers in the summer. These mats provide food and shelter for fish and invertebrates. There are significant quantities of three types of game fish in the river, salmon, brown trout and sea trout. Fishing on a stretch of around Kendal is controlled by the Kent Angling Association, which was formed in 1848. In 1986 fish ladders were constructed alongside the dams of mill-ponds to allow migratory fish to reach the upper sections of the river. Salmon in particular were quick to utilise the breeding grounds that then became available and the river above Bowston has become important for the rearing of juvenile salmon. Notwithstanding the existence of fish ladders, the removal of some weirs would arguably be beneficial to the health of the river and fish stocks in particular. In 2022 approval was given for the removal of a 19th century weir at Bowston. Since 1989, there has been a fish counter at Basinghyll, which covers the whole width of the river. Until 2000, it could detect any fish passing through the counter, and their direction of travel, but could not detect the species of individual fish. At that time, the Environment Agency were hoping to use underwater cameras to record the species of the fish. In 2013 DEFRA funding was announced for eel passes at Stramongate weir in Kendal and Basinghyll fish counter, where two eel passes were installed in July 2013. Water quality The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates, angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. The water quality of the River Kent system was as follows in 2019. Like many rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and mercury compounds, none of which had previously been included in the assessment. Projects have been undertaken to improve the water quality, for example on the River Gowan, a tributary which has been reconnected to its flood-plain. Some of these projects are also intended to help