Lune Local Er Annual Revie ENVIRONMENT AGENCY has superb rivers of good quality clean This is due to a number of reasons water. The River Lune rises in the including lack of suitable places in the Cumbrian fells and flows out into the river for fish to spawn (lay their eggs) Irish Sea just down river o f Lancaster. and due to fluctuations in river flows. The Lune area is popular with visitors. In the east are the fells with picturesque The Lune area was once one of the most As fishing is an important recreational villages of Sedbergh, Kirkby Lonsdale important fisheries in England for salmon and commercial activity in the Lune area and Ingleton. Whilst the coast has the and trout. However, over the last ten years we are concentrating our efforts on holiday resort of Morecambe. The area the populations o f these fish have fallen. improving the size and health of fish ' ------------------------------------------------------------------ \ trees and fenced 10km of riverbank. Key successes This protects the riverbank from being • 10km of fencing and over 4,000 washed away and spoiling spawning trees planted with the Lune Habitat grounds whilst the trees encourage a Group at nine sites along the River variety of wildlife to flourish. Lune at Tebay, River Wenning and These improvements to rivers and River Rawthey. riverbanks have also led to otters • Major work with the Lune Habitat returning to the Lune area, as the result Group to protect the River Lune of our recent survey proved. from erosion at Bowderdale. We also like to feel that people benefit • Creation of a safe haven pond for from our work. Public footpaths allow fish at Newbiggin-on-Lune. people to explore the beauty of the • Net limitation order and new bylaws Lune area and we are keen to encourage to protect fish stocks on the Lune. people to try fishing as a relaxing hobby or sport. To give everyone the • Supported Middleton Hatchery Group opportunity to fish for salmon we now who collected over 65,000 fish eggs offer affordable day tickets at our own and later released fry into the Lune. fisheries at Skerton, Lower Holton and Key future actions Upper Holton. To preserve fish populations salmon and trout caught • Fit Elver Pass at Skerton Weir for young eels. at our fisheries are returned to the river, indeed we recently introduced a bylaw • Improve fish access to the River that limits fishermen to taking four Conder and River Keer. salmon a season. Whilst our work has • Enforce Bylaws. brought benefits for people and wildlife there is still much more we would like • Continue riverbank improvement to achieve. projects. v_______________________________________ J f t * populations. To do this we are working with landowners, farmers and voluntary groups such as die Lune Habitat Group and Angling Clubs. This approach has led to real environmental improvements in the Lune area. For example, along the River Rawthey we have planted over 3,500 Until recently crude sewage from Morecambe was discharged into Morecambe Bay, so unsurprisingly the bathing water beaches at Morecambe North, Morecambe South bathing water quality and Heysham Half Moon Bay failed to meet European Standards. In recent years there have been major improvements to the sewerage network in the Morecambe area. Key successes • Morecambe North Beach has complied with European standards for the last four years. • A new Wastewater Treatment Works is in operation at Middleton to treat sewage from Morecambe area. • M orecam be Bay Bacteriological Study published. • North West Bathing Water Forum Partnership set up in September 1999 to share information and knowledge in the quest to guarantee compliance with the European standards. • I I Storm overflows improved and a programme in place to deal with the remaining 2 1. • Secondary biological treatment has been added to Lancaster Wastewater Treatment Works. Key future actions • Continue to investigate reasons for poor bacteriological water quality. • Monitor improvements to Wastewater Treatm ent W orks at Galgate, Glasson, Heysham, Morecambe, Lancaster and Photograo§ courtesy of Lancashire County Council Carnforth over the next five years. Environmental problems Lune Local Environl Agency Plan \ ENVIRO Map produced by EA Strategic Planning De January 2001 | Summary of Environmental W ater Quality Overview - 1 Problems and Improvements CQA Chemistry (1997/99) % 1 Improvements to ponds KEY • 2 Improvements to riverbanks • 3 Riverbank protection 1 Lune Leap Boundary • 4 Pollution from homes 1 Lancaster Canal ▲ 5 Flood warning zone • 6 River suffering low flows below this point Built up areas # 7 Water quality problems due to wrong connections to the sewers • 8 Water quality problems due to R ivers septic tanks • 9 Water quality problems due to farming activities A 1> Good 0 10 Water quality problems due to industry B J Improved Wastewater Treatment Works • 11 C 1> Fair D J • 12 Wastewater Treatment Works with improvements planned E Poor # 13 Beaches passing EU Standards F Bad • 14 Beaches failing EU Standards Unclassified Floods and droughts are natural forces This new system involves the emergency • New flood warning station built so we cannot stop them, but we can services and local councils to make sure at St George’s Quay, Lancaster. lower the risks. we all work effectively together to provide • Developed links with British an excellent service. There are many places in the Lune area Waterways to plan water allocation for the Lancaster Canal on Ribble Link. that can suffer from floods. We work There are parts of the Lune area that suffer closely with local authorities to maintain from too little water at certain times of the Key future actions or improve flood defences, where year. In particular the River Conder can practicable. We also operate a four-code • Continue to promote four-code suffer low water levels. This is partly due to flood warning system for public benefits. flood warning system. British Waterways taking water out of the The system is: river for use in the Glasson Branch of the • Review water abstraction licences Lancaster Canal. This situation is being to reduce the effects of low flows This is a general early alert considered as part o f British Waterways plans to all properties at risk of to build the Ribble Link at Savick Brook. flooding. • Produce a Catchment Abstraction Key successes Management plan (CAMs). Designated flood warning areas • Work with local authorities and receive a direct warning by an • Introduction of new four-code flood developers to make sure new automated telephone system. warning system. buildings or roads do not increase Should the situation • Introduction of three designated the risk o f flooding. deteriorate a severe flood flood warning areas at, warning is issued. Hornby warning 39 properties, An ‘All Clear’ is issued Skerton Pool, Lancaster warning when the threat of flooding 111 properties and has passed. Lancaster, warning 850 properties. and improvements Many factors can affect river water quality, such as discharges of sewage effluent from Wastewater Treatment Improving Works, storm sewage overflows and river water quality wrong connections to sewers. The majority of the Lune area is rural with farming being one of the main businesses. In the uplands sheep and beef cattle are farmed with dairy herds becoming more common on the lower grounds and around Galgate there is smSz - some land used for growing crops. Poor farming practices, particularly relating -v a; Js, - - . '-'y fi to the use of sheep-dip and slurry have '-■•ri .C —... _______ f y ^ led to some pollution problems. These V^ t I f ' : >f >J problems are evident on the upper parts of the River Lune, the upper part of the River Keer and along the River Wenning. In urban areas homes that have incorrectly plumbed appliances into the surface * - 4 ? * - water drain are causing some water quality problems around Burrow Beck in Lancaster. Whilst drainage from the Vickers and White Lund Industrial Estates are causing water quality problems in Oxcliffe Dyke 011 the outskirts of Lancaster. * - . Key successes V ,1* "I • Water quality has been improved r LrV * ■ % —- in Artie Beck as wrong connections • -rjr in Caton have been rectified. • Mini campaign at White Lund Industrial Estate has led to improved En v ir o n m e n t A g e n c y housekeeping such as the bunding of the oil storage area. NATIONAL LIBRARY & INFORMATION SERVICE Key future actions • Continue to resolve wrong HEAD OFFICE connections to the sewerage network. Rio House, Waterside Drive. Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4UD We feel that these improvements The Environment Agency within the Lune area will benefit If you would like to see a full Annual or John Young, LEAPs Officer at people and wildlife today and for Review fo r the Lune area please contact: PO Box 519, South Preston PR5 8GD future generations. Stephen Hemingway Tel: 01 772 339882 LEAPs Team Leader We would like to thonk the Central Area Environment Group for their support in the Free 24 hour emergency hotline 0800 80 70 60 production of this document. Floodline 0845 988 1188 NW-01 /01 -3K-Dii-BFVJ.