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EA -Tham es LOW

Lower Thames Fact File

En v ir o n m e n t Ag e n c y This is one o f a number o f Fact Files which cover all the Rotocking main in the Thames Region of the Environment ihe Wye Agency. Due to its size and importance the Thames itself is covered by four fact files, dealing with the Upper Thames, from source at to , the Middle Thames from Eynsham to Hurley, the Lower Thames from Hurley toTeddington, and the Thames and extending fromTeddington in West to Shoebury Ness just east of Southend.

Lower Flackwell Heath Thames Marlow

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enley-on-Thames

Maidenhead

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Windsor

Id Windsor

Binfield Burleigh

The Bracknell The Environment Agency for smaller units from the Department o f the and is one o f the Environment. The Environment Agency is most powerful environmental committed to improving wildlife habitats and conserving regulators in the world. We provide the natural environment in all it undertakes. a comprehensive approach to the protection and Our key tool for the integrated management of the local management of the environment, emphasising water, land and air environment is the development of prevention, education and vigorous enforcement Local Environment Agency Plans (LEAPS). The Lower wherever necessary. The Agency’s creation on the 1 st Thames LEAP consultation report contains a April 1996 was a major step, merging the expertise of the comprehensive survey of local natural resources, pressures National Rivers Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of on these resources and the consequent state o f the local , the Waste Regulation Authorities and several environment. C- A - TV\£\ iv c $ LouJ FACTS IN BRIEF

• The stretch o f the Lower Thames runs from Hurley toTeddington, a distance of 67 km

• Average annual rainfall: 625mm

• Number of waste The Lower Thames LEAP identifies a number of key issues source of energy. In more recent times the development management licences: 32 which need to be addressed in the area, requiring o f the railway, the motorway network and Heathrow • Approximate amount of integrated and sustainable management. These include: Airport, along with its proximity to London, has waste generated per year: • improving the water quality of some Thames increased the areas comparative economic advantages. 1.1 million tonnes tributaries; Local authorities have a wide range of powers and duties • Number of I PC • ensuring the adverse impact o f former landfill sites which have important environmental implications, Licensed Processes: 7 and other contaminated land on the environment is including land use planning, environmental health and • Number of sites of waste collection. We therefore value partnerships with minimised; special scientific local authorities in order to protect and enhance the local • protecting and enhancing the ecological, fisheries, interest: 18 environment. In the Lower Thames area there are 12 Local landscape and archaeological resources of the Lower • railway Authorities and three County Councils: Thames and implementing strategies for their future , built by Brunei, management. H o u n s l o w ______has the longest brick R ic h m o n d ______built span in the world The plan area and particularly the Lower Thames and the arch on the K in g s t o n itself constitutes a resource of great environmental, side is Sl o u g h ______recreational and historical value. The eastern half of known as the ‘sounding W in d s o r & M a id e n h e a d the plan area is predominantly suburban, whilst the arch’ because of its B r a c k n e l l ______curious echo. western half is more rural with Maidenhead, S p e l t h o r n e ______Windsor, and Bracknell being the main • The twisting course of W o k in g h a m urban areas. For many years the Lower Thames the Thames at Windsor is E l m b r id g e said to have given the valley has been under pressure from residential, So u t h B u c k s ______town its Anglo-Saxon industrial and commercial development. Initially R u n n y m e d e name. Wyndesore, the stimulus was the itself, which ‘winding shore’. W y c o m b e ______provided a water supply, cheap transport and a Su r r e y C o u n t y C o u n c il ______• The signing of the in 1215 took place All Saints Church. Marlcw-on- Thames B uckinghamshire C o u n t y C o u n c il on , B e r k s h ir e C o u n t y C o u n c il . The Agency is a statutory consultee for certain types of • A mile downstream of developments requiring planning permission from these Runnymede on the left authorities, and provides advice on the environmental bank stands the London impact of proposed developments. Stone. The stone was erected around the year 1200 and, until 1857, marked the point in the river up to which the Corporation of the held jurisdiction.

• The bend in the river immediately above Walion Bridge is called Coway Stakes and tradition holds that it was here that Caesar forded the Thames in pursuit of .

• The Rivers Wye, Wey, Colne and Mole are major tributaries of this part o f the Thames and are covered in separate fact files.

003147 Protection of the water environment The following are the g q a classes 1993-1995 for the . , , , , , _ _ , _ . Lower Thames and its tributaries (excluding those covered Between Hurley and Windsor the flow or the Thames is , , , , . . r . by separate fact files). supplemented by springs and seepage rismg from the aquifer and by contributions from its tributaries. FROM TO LENGTH CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL Towards Teddington more of its flow is derived from (KM) GQA CLASS GQA CLASS 1993 199S 1995 direct run-off from areas o f soils. The lower reaches River Thames o f the Thames as far as Kingston are of good quality and as Hurley 19.8 C a a result support a wide variety o f fish and wildlife. Below Cut Romney 8.1 C t x Cut Kingston for both the Thames and the majority of the Cut Wey 21 8 B b tributaries water quality is fair with the main influences Wey Hogsmill 14.5 B b< Hogsmill Teddington 2.7 C c being urban run-off and discharges from major The Cut treatment works. There are a number o f minor tributaries Source Bracknell STW 10.3 D d Bracknell STW Heywood of a poorer quality which are dominated by flows of Stream 8.4 D d Heywood Stream Cannon Hill 2.6 E d sewage effluent. Bray Wick Cannon Hill Bray Wick Thames C There are 3 7 routine chemical sampling points on the 2.5 c Ditch Lower Thames, sampled regularly by Agency staff to check Roundmoor Ditch Thames 1.1 F » Roundmoor Ditch the water quality. There are also six automatic monitoring Burnham STW Boveney Ditch 4.2 F f stations which measure basic water quality parameters every hour. Pollution Prevention and Environmental Quality

Chaivey Ditch General Quality Assessment Slough Thames 5.5 C b Myrke Ditch In June 1994 a new General Quality Assessment Scheme Upton Park Thames 1.9 E f (GQA) was introduced for the assessment o f freshwater Common Brook quality. It is used to assign the most likely class for a river Upton Lake Thames 10.4 C c for a given time period. The scheme currently assesses Moor Thames 15.0 C b both the chemical and biological quality along side each Ash Colne Ashford 8.1 C b other. The two methods are different and the classes would Common WTW Ashford Common WTW Thames 2.6 D c not necessarily be the same. Chemical measurements Portlane Brook Thames 54 C d reflect water quality from the water sampled at the Hogsmill moment of sampling, whereas biological sampling Bourne Hall Hogsmill STW 8.2 B d Hogsmill STW Thames 1.7 E e measures the response of microinvertebrates to all Discharges environmental variation over their life cycle. The following are the main consented discharges into the Lower The chemical component is based on three Thames and its tributaries (excluding those covered by separate determinands: Biochemical Oxygen Demand, fact files).

Dissolved Oxygen and Ammonia. The GQA classes Discharge Cubic Metres per Day Type of Effluent

vary from A (very good) to F (bad). River Thames Little Mariow STW 120900 Sewage Effluent In addition to this the Water Resources Act 1991 Windsor STW 40500 Sewage Effluent Kempton Park Wateiworks 3000 Trade Effluent gives the Government the power to set statutory Walton Waterworks 20200 Trade Effluent water quality objectives for watercourses based on Sunnyside 22750 Trade Effluent Hampton Waterworks 6819 Trade Effluent the river usage. These related standards must reflect Hampton Waterworks 2273 Trade Effluent Abbots Brook local needs and conditions and for this the GQA is Spade Oak Gravel Pit 33627 Mineral not appropriate. Five key uses have been selected for The Cut Bracknell STW 50118 Sewage Effluent evaluations; River Ecosystem, Special Ecosystem, Roundmoor Ditch Slough STW 2 discharges of Sewage Effluent Abstraction for Potable Supply. Agricultural and 116480 each Industrial Abstraction and Water Sports. Each use Colne Brook North STW 14400 Sewage Effluent Water Quality Sampling will have a defined set o f parameters to provide a quality Iver South STW 3462 Sewage Effluent Ash objective which will be used to set Water Quality Ashford Common 45000 Trade Effluent Objectives in the future. Full details of these objectives can Waterworks Portlane Brook be found in the Lower Thames LEAP. Kempton Park Works 5000 Trade Effluent Hogsmill Hogsmill Valiev STW 86400 Sewage Effluent Industrial and waste regulation The Lower Thames area has relatively little industry, Slough Trading Estate, Maidenhead, Sunbury and Bracknell being Water the main areas of industrial activity We are responsible for regulating the most complex and potentially polluting types of industrial process for air, Resources land and water under the regime of Integrated Pollution The Lower Thames derives its flow from water draining Control (IPC). There are seven such large scale processes from the Cotswold Hills, the Vale o f , the authorised by the Agency Downs, the and parts of the and in the Lower Thames . The major tributaries entering the reach area, including Slough from Hurley to Teddington are the rivers Wye, Colne, Wey Trading Estates Power and Mole. More than half the rainfall falling on the area is Station, ICI Paints at lost by evaporation from hard surfaces and plants. The Slough and BP Solar at remainder supplies the resource of water which supports Sunbury on Thames. To the natural environment, including river flows, aquifers, check for appropriate environmental performance we and water supplies for homes, industry and agriculture. undertake inspections of regulated processes, and collect To ensure there is enough information on river flows we data on releases to air, water and land which can be carry out continuous measurements. The Lower Thames obtained from our Public Register. and all its major tributaries have fixed gauging stations. There are no nuclear power stations in the Lower Thames In 1994 the Agency published ‘Future Water Resources in catchment, however there are 1 1 authorisations for the the Thames Region: a Strategy for Sustainable accumulation and disposal of radioactive waste, and Management’ which reviewed future water resource needs approximately 130 registrations for the use of radioactive for domestic and industrial growth. This shows that for substances all regulated by the Agency. We undertake the London area additional water resources are unlikely to Flow Gauging inspections of these regulated activities and are be required until 201 5. empowered to serve enforcement notices or to prosecute where breaches o f legislation are found. Abstractions The Environment Agency licences, regulates and supervises In the lower part of the Thames both and the handling, storage and disposal of waste. The Lower rivers are important sources of drinking water. However, Thames area generates approximately one million tonnes the role o f this part o f the river in providing a large part of controlled waste per annum (household, industrial and of the water supply for London is predominant. The total commercial), representing approximately 1.1 tonnes per amount licensed to be abstracted in the area is about household per year. 1,800,000 cubic metres per day. The majority is pumped Whereas the River Thames is used in to first to the large storage to the west of London transport waste for disposal, it is not such a practical prior to treatment and distribution to the capital. Much of option within this area and the majority is transported by this water is discharged back to the Tidal Thames via a road or rail. Historically the majority of waste has beeii number o f major plants serving London, disposed via landfill sites. There are 1 2 active landfill sites such as those at and in . in the area, however the current estimate is that available Managing the abstractions and the river is a complex task, landfill space in the region will run out in the next 10 to particularly in summer low flow periods. The Agency has 15 years. In order to combat this problem targets from the established with the appropriate water companies Government’s waste strategy ‘Making operating agreements (under section 20 of the 1991 Water Waste Work’ have been adopted at a Resources Act), which set out rules to govern local level, including targets for abstraction. The large abstractions need to be recycling, composting and managed so that levels in the river for recovering waste, along with navigation are not unduly affected. We also producer responsibility targets. An maintain flow over Teddington weir which is example of this strategy in the important for water quality in the upper Tideway Lower Thames area is the and the success o f the Thames scheme. ‘Waste Wise Business Manual’ produced by the Agency in partnership with County Council, providing information on waste reduction, re-use and recycling. Wildlife The Lower Thames contains a rich variety of wildlife mayflies, caddis flies, damseflies and snails which are an both on and in the river and along the river corridor. important food source for fish. Several of the Thames Several species of waterbird such as heron, kingfisher, tributaries have less diverse invertebrate communities as a great crested grebe, coot, moorhen and mandarin duck result o f a combination of the effects of sewage work can regularly be seen, and large flocks of swans are found effluents and storm water discharges. in Windsor, Staines and Hampton Court. Mandarin duck From to Maidenhead the river corridor is well Fisheries defined by wooded scarp slopes, such as Woods, The Thames from Hurley to Teddington is home to over which are rich in woodland species. In areas of wet 30 species o f fish. The main ones likely to be woodland adjacent to the Thames specimens o f the Red encountered are bream, chub, dace, gudgeon, perch, pike Data Book species, Loddon Lilly can be found. and roach. In previous years, the gathering o f fisheries Nature, Conservation and Recreational Use Further down the Thames the river corridor broadens and information depended on the use of trawls, seine nets

contains relics o f flood plain meadows such as and angler catch data. Such a large and busy watercourse Meads. This part o f the river is characterised by the large as the Thames is not suited to conventional electrofishing numbers of adjacent waterbodies such as gravel pits and methods. However, recent advances in techniques such as reservoirs. These attract a great variety of birdlife such as horizontal sonar and boom boat electrofishing has made tufted duck, smew and gadwall and have become one of the collection of more accurate, qualitative data possible. the richest areas of birdlife in Britain. This work is currently ongoing. Ecology The Thames is important as a navigation, but the need to dredge the river bed to maintain a navigable channel and The River Thames and its tributaries are regularly sampled the construction and operation o f weirs does have a for aquatic invertebrates by our biologists. These animals deleterious affect on the fishery. Despite this, high grade provide information on the biological quality of rivers fisheries are present throughout the Lower Thames, and can be used to detect and assess pollution and attracting all types of anglers. Population cycles are a Damselfly measure the effects o f river management activities. common occurence shown throughout the coarse fish Invertebrates do not move very far and respond to population. During the 1970s bleak were abundant; the everything contained in the water. This includes pollutants 1980s saw a welcome return of perch and huge dace which may occur infrequently or at very low . In the 1990s a decline in the dace population was concentrations, and which will be missed easily by seen along with a continued expansion of the perch current chemical sampling activities. population. Of the major freshwater species, bream, roach The biological GQA results for 1995 show that water and perch now dominate the lower reaches of the river. quality of the Thames is very good. The lower'teaches of The Agency has maintained a salmon restoration the Thames contain the wide variety df^invlrujbrates programme since 1979, progressively building fish passes typical of large rivers with diverse habitats, mvestigalions inio Lower Thames weirs in order that salmon may return have shown that the river margins w ith their to their spa\vning ground. ’ " ’ I S The

Gudgeon launch safety inspections to ensure compliance with Navigation Acts and Byelaws, and regulate all structures in and about the river. However, with an increasing number of pleasure boats particularly along this stretch of the Thames, during the summer months congestion can be a O f the sixteen problem. In order to help relieve this improvements to weirs between facilities are being undertaken, particularly in lock lay-bys Teddington and Hurley and public moorings. fifteen have fish passes, with the final pass set to be opened in 1998. The Thames Salmon Trust, a registered charity, has worked in conjunction with the Agency raising money by Flood Defence finding sponsors for the fish passes. Returning adults are monitored using fish traps at Maintaining the environs of the Thames and Sunbury weirs before proceeding upstream. and its tributaries on a day to day basis, The highest recorded annual return so far was 338 and implementing projects to reduce the salmon in 1993. Small numbers o f sea trout are also incidence of major floods form a large recorded each year. part of flood defence duties within Thames Region . The Lower Thames has a Recreation history of flooding, most significandy in The banks o f the Thames, especially at locks, attract 1947. visitors throughout the year for walks, picnics and Staff at the river control room at Reading sightseeing. The wide waters of this part of the Thames keep a round the clock check on weather are ideal for all kinds o f recreational boating. In towns conditions and river levels. They interpret and villages all along the river there are clubs for sailing, the information, and when the possibility , punting, racing and . Annual of flooding is detected they issue warnings regattas are a lively feature of the river during the to the public, the emergency services, and summer: some, such as Marlow for the serious athlete, the local authorities through automatic others more relaxed and informal. At many towns boat voice messaging systems, the media and in hire and river trips are popular ways to explore the river, some instances by direct contact. Maidenhead 1990 while the more energetic can walk the . This The operational maintenance team work direct from the follows the riverside on its route from the Sunbury office and organises any necessary dredging, to the source in , crossing two new weed clearance and removal o f blockages to reduce the bridges specially provided for it at Temple and Bourne risk o f flooding. They also mobilise the emergency End. The river and its backwaters provide sought-after workforce during any emergencies to keep rivers clear o f fishing and exciting sport is available on an annual permit obstructions, so flood waters can be conveyed away as at the weir pools o f a number of locks along this part of quickly as possible. the Thames. At a number of sites, notably and The major flood defence scheme currently under , canoeists are able to use the strong flow construction within Thames Region is the Maidenhead, through weirs for white-water canoeing and slalom Eton and Windsor Flood Alleviation Scheme, which events. commenced in 1996. On completion the scheme will not only protect an area prone to severe flooding, but also improve the natural river Navigation environment and include features o f environmental The Environment Agency has responsibility for Navigation conservation and enhancement. on the non tidal Thames. There are fifteen locks on this The Floodcall number to ring to stretch o f the Thames and our lock and weir keepers play obtain information during a an important part not only in guiding craft through the potential flood situation is locks but also in 0645 881188. controlling the level of water in the river. Navigation staff also control and oversee river based events, conduct

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