Rural Diffuse Water Pollution. Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and Sugar Brooks

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1 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s

2 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s Who are we? BEACON (Bollin Environmental Action and Conservation) is a project that spans the River Bollin catchment. It was formed to help landowners and communities manage invasive species, and has recently expanded its focus to look at water quality issues. Made up of many different partner organisations, BEACON organises action and participation around improving the river habitat and water quality. What s happening? BEACON is implementing an 8 month project, from October 2014 to June 2015, to identify rural diffuse water pollution issues in the Birkin, Mobberley, Marthall and s. These water bodies are currently failing water quality standards, and evidence suggests that this is due to an increase in phosphates from agriculture and the water industry. The project has been funded by United Utilities Catchment Wise Fund and the Environment Agency, and will help us to find out more about the pollution problems and what can be done to improve water quality. Thirty BEACON volunteers were trained by APEM Consultants, which included indoor and outdoor practical sessions along the River Bollin to give the volunteers practise in identifying and recording diffuse pollution issues. This formal training was followed up by a further sessions until the volunteers were confident to undertake their own walkover surveys. Volunteers were allocated a section of one of the brooks based on their preference and availability. Each section was roughly 4km in length, and each surveyor recorded observations using a GPS unit, a camera, paper maps and survey forms. From these walkover surveys, pollution hotspots have been identified. In total 20 sections of river were walked which covered a distance of 80kms. This project has helped volunteers to develop existing knowledge, and learn Tatton Park Birkin Brook Marthall Brook Rivers A Roads Catchment Boundary KNUTSFORD Mobberley Brook A537 Pedley Brook new skills whilst helping the water environment. Volunteers and local landowners have also been able to provide detailed knowledge about the water issues near where they live, which has proved invaluable. The information from this project is a starting point to help landowners and farmers manage the water environment better. Further analysis of the data collated will be carried out to help target future work and investigations in the Bollin catchment. Why here? Diffuse pollution can be controlled by changing land management practices. ers, landowners and communities contacted as part of this project will be signposted to services, organisations and sources of funding if problems have been identified on their land. Manchester Airport Chelford WILMSLOW ALDERLEY EDGE A34 N A34 Nether Alderley

3 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s What is Diffuse Water Pollution? Diffuse pollution is the release of pollutants from a range of activities that individually may have little effect on the water environment locally, but on a catchment scale, can have a significant impact. Diffuse sources of pollution include runoff from roads, houses and commercial areas, run-off from farmland, and seepage into groundwater from many developed landscapes shown in the figure below. These are all sources of pollution that can affect the ecology and water quality of catchments. A catchment is the watershed of a river, and includes all the streams, brooks, ponds and ditches connected to it. Sources of Diffuse Water Pollution 7 1 Agricultural Land Drainage 2 Agricultural Runoff 3 Livestock in streams 4 On-site waste water systems eg. Septic Tanks 5 Detergents and soaps 6 Car washing 7 Municipal waste water treatment plants Why is it a problem? Agriculture is one of the main sources of rural diffuse pollution. Run-off from rural areas can pollute watercourses and make them visually unattractive. Fertilisation of crops can often lead to excess nutrients in soils, which raises levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients can be washed from the soils and end up in water bodies. Excess nutrients in water bodies can produce algal slimes, which can deplete oxygen, reduce water clarity and result in fish kills. Alagal slimes can also be detrimental to human health. Erosion of river banks and poaching by livestock can also increase nutrient levels in water as soil is washed into the water, taking with it any fertilisers, chemicals or natural phosphorus and nitrogen stored in the soil. Erosion can also cover up spawning grounds for salmonid fish and reduce oxygen in the water.

4 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s Diffuse water pollution walkover survey results Location and spacial distribution of the diffuse pollution sources along Birkin Brook Broad Oak M56 Moss Bucklow Hill Rostherne Briddon Weir Shae Green Birkin Stock Hough Green A-Roads Smaller A-Roads B-Roads Brooks Mobberley Brook Birkin Brook Kell House Mere M6 Tatton Park Wee Bridge Hazelhurst Over Tabley Graveyard Birkin Brook Issue Type Arable field: Cultivation right up to banks activity: Manure heap infrastructure: tracks & gateways Hydromorphological condition: Culverts, erosional features Livestock: Access to watercourse & general poaching and trampling Other issues: Run-off not via drain or pipe, drainage ditch Conduits: Pipes KNUTSFORD Springwood Mobberley Marthall Brook Pedley Brook Highgrove Yewtree Map in comparison to bar chart may not look accurate due to multiple issues at single points Birkin Brook diffuse water pollution sources Pipe other Erosion features Runoff not via drain/pipe General poaching and trampling Significant large scale woody debris Other Livestock access to watercourse Field organic manure (livestock & biowaste) heap tracks and gateways Culverts Drainage ditch Cultivation right up to banks

5 Erosion of river banks and poaching by livestock can also increase nutrient levels in water.

6 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s Diffuse water pollution walkover survey results Location and spacial distribution of the diffuse pollution sources along Birtles Arden Lodge Lower House Drain Smaller A-Roads B-Roads Brooks Bridge Primrose Hill Breach Cottage Boundary Cottage Birkin Brook Tithebarn Brook House Breach House Kell House Brookside Issue Type infrastructure: farm tracks and gateways Hydromorphological conditions: weir, dam, impoundment, channel straightening, erosional features and depositional features Livestock: access to watercourse, general poaching and trampling Other issues: run-off not via drain or pipe, drainage ditch Conduits: Pipes Parkside Four Lane Ends Mobberley Brook Barnshaw New Mills Two Gates Clay House Owen House El Sub Station Yarwood House Map in comparison to bar chart may not look accurate due to multiple issues at single points diffuse water pollution sources Significant large scale woody debris Pipe - farm Erosion features Pipe -other Runoff not via drain/pipe Impoundment Depositional features Other Livestock access to watercourse Weir, sluice or dam Manmade barrier - other General poaching and trampling tracks and gateways Channel straightening

7 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s Diffuse water pollution walkover survey results Location and spacial distribution of the diffuse pollution sources along Mobberley Brook Birkin Brook Birtles Primrose Hill Mobberley Brook Mobberley Road Kell House Lower House Blackshaw Hayes Castle Hill MANCHESTER AIRPORT Bollin House Morley Handforth Parkside Broadoak Lane MOBBERLEY CP Blakeley Burlayhurst Lane A538 Smith Lane Wee Bridge Saltersley Hall Wilmslow Mobberley Hall Barlow House A34 Mobberley Brook Issue Type Mobberley Brook Arable field: Soil compaction and run off activity: Land spreading infrastructure: tracks & gateways Hydromorphological condition: Erosional & depositional features Invasive Non Natives Species: Himalayan balsam & Giant Hogweed Livestock: Access to watercourse & general poaching and trampling Other issues: Run-off not via drain or pipe, drainage ditch Sewage treatment Conduits: Pipes Hillfield Knutsford Rd Pownall House GREAT WARFORD CP Heathgate B5085 CHORLEY CP Grange House Tanyard B5359 Carr Bank Carr Field ALDERLEY EDGE CP B5087 Alderley Edge Map in comparison to bar chart may not look accurate due to multiple issues at single points Mobberley Brook diffuse water pollution sources Pipe other Runoff not via drain/pipe Erosion features Pipe farm General poaching and trampling Other Livestock access to watercourse Significant large scale woody debris Himalayan Balsam tracks and gateways Depositional features Soil compaction and runoff Sewage treatment works, septic tank, cess pit or package plants Pipe - sediment Land spreading of organic manure (livestock, sewage sludge or industrial) Giant Hogweed Drainage ditch Combined sewage overflow or pumping station

8 Whilst using rivers to drink or cool off, livestock can cause riverbank erosion, soil compaction and faecal contamination of the water.

9 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s Diffuse water pollution walkover survey results Location and spacial distribution of the diffuse pollution sources along Marthall Brook Springwood KNUTSFORD Springwood Cottage Pedley Brook Warford Park Booths Park Booths Hall Spring Wood Warford Grange Booths Hall Booths Hall Cottages Drain Drain Mountpleasant Pedley House Pedley Bridge Moseley Hall Brickhill Wood Drain Oak Wood Marthall Brook Firtree Ryecroft Brook Ollerton Grange Marthall Brook Issue Type Arable field: Soil compaction and run off infrastructure: tracks & gateways Hydromorphological condition: Erosional & depositional features & large scale woody debris Livestock: General poaching and trampling Other issues: Run-off not via drain or pipe, drainage ditch Conduits: Pipes Ollerton Manor Nursery Ollerton Drain Pear Tree Drain OLLERTON CP Meadowland Brookhouse Beeches Alder Wood MARTHALL CP Map in comparison to bar chart may not look accurate due to multiple issues at single points Marthall Brook diffuse water pollution sources Runoff not via drain/pipe Pipe other Other Pipe farm Soil compaction and runoff General poaching and trampling Drainage ditch unspecified premises Erosion features tracks and gateways Deposition features

10 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s How do we fix it? There are opportunities for everyone to make changes to their land management that will help protect our rivers and streams. Making changes can result in less pollution and also save time and money. Ways are being developed to encourage Catchment Sensitive ing, where land is managed to reduce the amount of soil, manures, fertilisers and chemicals entering water bodies. This reduces pollution and saves money. Invasive Species Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed are invasive nonnative plant species that are rife in the Bollin catchment. These plants grow quickly shading out native wild flowers, and set thousands of seeds at the end of every growing season. When the plants die back in autumn, large areas of bare soil are left leaving river banks liable to erosion. Invasive species can be controlled by hand-pulling, cutting, herbicide spraying or injecting, depending on which species is being tackled. This must be done before the plants set seed. For more information on the best way to control each species please contact BEACON or the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat; details on the back cover. Livestock grazing can also help control invasive species. Livestock Whilst using rivers to drink or cool off, livestock can cause riverbank erosion, soil compaction and faecal contamination of the water. Reducing livestock access by fencing off the water course prevents pollution. Fencing can allow riverbank vegetation to re-establish and in turn stabilise the bank, the vegetation creates a buffer strip that can intercept runoff and overhanging vegetation provides shade for fish. Livestock feeders should be sited on hard-standing away from watercourses to reduce nutrients leeching into the watercourse, and decrease poaching.

11 Rural Diffuse Water Pollution Diffusing problems in Mobberley, Birkin, Marthall and s Watercourse Management Avoid spreading manure or slurry very near to watercourses, and avoid storing manure in heaps where any seepage can reach the water. Look for opportunities to create wildlife features, such as a pond in the corner of a field to settle out silt. Using willow weaving, pinned conifers or brash rather than stones and concrete to shore up eroding river banks will also promote wildlife. You may need permission from the Environment Agency to do this. Controlling Run-off Ditches and drains can be a direct route from the farmyard to the river, and allow milk, slurry, sediment and chemicals to get into the watercourse. It is best practise to know which drains run into what ditches, and where the clean water goes. Ensure guttering, downspouts and underground pipework is in good order, and consider how you can store clean water for use in drought periods. Try to roof livestock holding areas, manure, slurry and silage stores, and think carefully about where to store herbicides, fertilisers and other chemicals. Managing Soils Poorly managed soils can increase runoff into river, and strip the land of productive topsoil costing more money to fertilise. Soil tests can be carried out to find out current nutrient levels, which will determine the amount of fertilisation required, and tests can also identify areas of soil compaction. Implementing soil, crop and nutrient plans will alleviate runoff, as will rotating crops to ensure a good ground coverage throughout the year. Where erosion is severe consider an alternative use for the land.

12 For more information on this project and the control of invasive species please contact: BEACON Project Officer e: BEACON is part of the Catchment Partnership that covers the Bollin and Upper Mersey catchment, hosted by Healthy Waterways Trust. You can find out more about them by visiting: For more information on how to manage livestock, soil, watercourses and run-off please contact: Catchment Sensitive ing Advice Service Natural England Environment Agency GB Non-Native Species Secretariat This project is funded with the help of United Utilities Catchment Wise Fund and the Environment Agency