The Mersey is a lot cleaner than you might think. And much cleaner than it looks. Yet however clean it becomes, the water will never appear clear because of silt and mud stirred up by the tide as it sweeps in and out twice every day.
It is this mud, however, that makes the Mersey such an internationally important area for bird life.
The modern-day Mersey has much to offer the visitor. Every year more and more people flock in to crowd the quaysides of the Albert Dock and Pier Head, admire the area's architecture or relive its proud past in the fine museums and galleries. Yet few of them venture very far beyond Liverpool city centre and the nearby waterfront.
Fewer still realise the wealth of opportunities around the Mersey Estuary area for outdoor recreation, most within minutes of the urban areas or just a short drive, train journey - or ferry ride - away. Many local people have long been aware of these possibilities, even if they rarely sample them as often as they intend to. When they do, they are frequently amazed by the transformation of recent years. They find cleaner water in the Estuary, safe sandy beaches, improved visitor facilities and everywhere signs of care for the environment and respect for the heritage and history.
This is an area where you can combine the exhilaration of contemporary city life with the more relaxed pleasures of riverfront, coast and countryside. You may choose to sip a drink at a stylish dockland cafe, visit a major art gallery right on the waterfront or shop and sightsee till you drop. But within 20 minutes you could be taking in the peace and tranquillity of the rich and varied estuary landscape. You could explore a deserted sandy beach, feed squirrels among the sand dunes or enjoy a ferry trip into a world where you have only the gulls and the waves for company.
Wherever you go, you will enjoy the unique fascination of the ever-changing river scene animated by the rhythm of the tides. If you're feeling really active you'll find every kind of watersport available - or miles and miles of open promenade and beaches for walking, cycling or fishing. It's also been labelled the Golf Coast for its profusion of fine courses, with Royal Liverpool and Royal Birkdale hosting the world-famous British Open in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
For the dedicated nature lover the opportunities are all around - not least for birdwatchers who flock here as regularly as the objects of their attention. As the billion- pound clean-up progresses, more and more local people and visitors are waking up to an exceptional range of attractive natural locations on the doorstep of the city.
This Estuary was shaped millions of years ago by ice floes which flattened the area and filled the hollows with sand, clay, mud and pebbles. The result was a rich range of coastal, estuary, and riverside landscapes and a wide variety of wildlife habitats that help make this area an internationally important conservation site.
A further bonus is the mild climate, the prevailing westerly winds ensuring much rain is absorbed by the Welsh hills. The industrial revolution and the intensive development that followed may have brought pollution to the Mersey but it also assured the area a rich history, of which we now find reminders all around us. The legacy includes not only fine buildings and museums but canals, engineering landmarks and other echoes of the industrial era. Just as the fine natural attractions of the area are being recognised and protected for us all to enjoy, so the man-made environment is now being re-evaluated and renewed.
