Investigation of road runoff inputs from the A42 into the River Mease, UK: winter 2013/14 Final: April 2014 A Taylor, WH Blake*, S Comber, R Goddard, A Fisher, HG Smith, L Gaspar, J Darmovzalova Catchment and River Science Research Group (CaRiS), School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Plymouth University, PL4 8AA (*contact:
[email protected] ) With Victoria Levett (project manager) and David Fraser (project director) APEM Ltd, Centre for Innovation & Enterprise, Oxford University Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke Hill, Woodstock Road, Begbroke, Oxfordshire, OX5 1PF (APEM Project 412766) This project is part of the IPENS programme (LIFE11NAT/UK/000384IPENS) which is financially supported by LIFE, a financial instrument of the European Community 1 Contents pg 1. Introduction 3 1.1 Project Brief 1.2 Road runoff problems: review of literature 1.3 Aims and objectives 2. Methods and approach 12 2.1. Site selection 2.2. Field monitoring 2.3 Water quality sampling and analysis for metals 2.4 Sediment quality sampling and fingerprinting 3. Results and discussion 15 3.1. Hydrographs from Mease channel above and below and at the A42 culvert input 3.2. Total and dissolved metals during sampled storm periods 3.3. Road dust and impacts on river sediment quality 4. Conclusions and recommendations 29 4.1 Key messages 4.2 Recommendations 4.3 Limitations and further work This project is part of the IPENS programme (LIFE11NAT/UK/000384IPENS) which is financially supported by LIFE, a financial instrument of the European Community’ “The Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites (IPENS), supported by EU LIFE+, is a new strategic approach to managing England’s Natura 2000 sites.