I have found a gulf which I explored on the west-side. Near the head are some plains extending to the foot of a large mountain…
– British Captain John Hayes, 1793
Captain Hayes named this ‘gulf’ the River Derwent – which is Celtic for ‘clear water’. Since Captain Hayes’ visit the Derwent has changed and a number of environmental issues now compromise its ‘clear water’. Issues include heavy metal contamination, stormwater pollution and loss of habitat and species. The Derwent Estuary Program was established in 1999 to restore and promote the Derwent estuary.
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