‘THE RIVER’
An extract from the novel ‘The River’
by Patrice Newell

A community should love its river, and show that love by protecting it. How has the Pages, like so many unregulated streams (for that is its technical description), come to be in the state it finds itself today? Clogged with algae before spring is through, infested with carp at the expense of native fish, denuded of native vegetation for much of its length and, increasingly, robbed to keep lawns lush, crops growing (especially the Lucerne for thoroughbreds and polo ponies) and ironically, to fill private swimming pools.

On bold bright days I peer into our river where catfish circle their nests, resisting the bullying of the carp, turtles glide like underwater frisbies and eels pose questions with their bodies. And as I ask myself: what are the waters telling me? The answer that comes back is: we’ve taken too much, used it up and never felt the faintest obligation to give anything back. The 178 years of taking has not damaged only the river, it has damaged us as well.