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Rivers Swale, Ure & Ouse

Rivers Swale, Ure & Ouse

Rivers Swale, Ure & Ouse FACT FILE

E n v i r o n m e n t A g e n c y KEY FACTS Rivers Swale

ALTITUDE AT SOURCE Swale 500 metres above sea level Ure & Ouse Ure (Ure Head) 640 metres above sea level Ouse (Ouse Gill Beck) 25 metres FACT FILE above sea level

TOTAL CATCHMENT DRAINAGE AREA 3286 square kilometres

MAIN TRIBUTARIES Swale: , Beck. . Cod Beck Ure: W iddale Beck, River Bain, . , River The begins life as a series of small becks on the Northern Burn, , RiverTutt, within the beautiful Dales National Park. It flows Ouse: . , River eastwards along and passes through Richmond and Catterick, Derwent. , before turning south eastwards to join th(^Ure at . WATER QUALITY OF THE SWALE, URE AND OUSE CATCHMENT The Ure also rises on the Pennines in the National Park Swale: Good 3 1 5.8km, Fair 60.9km, just south of the Swale. The river becomes known as the Ouse at the point Bad/Poor 17.7 km where Ouse Gill beck runs in. From there, the Ouse flows south through Ure: Good 336.8km, Fair I 3.7km, the of to Weir, below which the river is tidal. Bad/Poor 0.0km Ouse. Inland Rivers: Good 48.4km, Fair 64.4km, Poor 52.9km GEOLOGY FEATURES Swale, Ure and Ouse catchment are Ouse. Esturine: Good 10km, generally of high quality, suitable for The craggy limestone scenery of the Fair 1 2.7kin, Poor 0.0km drinking water supplies and support Yorkshire Dales in Swaledale and good fisheries. LENGTH FROM SOURCE TO SEA is produced by Limestone which is However, some tributaries of the Swale 109km, Ure I 1 lkm, Ouse 75km between 280 and 360 million years old. and the Swale are affected by acidification caused quite naturally by AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL The rocks get progressively younger moving down river from the Dales. rain falling on the millstone grit and 600m m . 2000m m Sandstones, shales and Carboniferous peat. These waters attract types of Millstone Grit form an area of Grit wildlife which can survive in acidic moorland in the catchments of the water, such as stoneflies and certain Burn and Laver - tributaries of the River species of caddisfly.

ALNWICK Ure - and some right bank tributaries of Rivers in these upland areas are often the Swale. under threat from agricultural pollution. As the Ouse flows through the Vale Silage liquor (the liquid produced when of York, the rocks become Permo-Triassic GAT* SritAO • - between 21 3 and 286 million years old. The permian rocks are formed by DUNMAM Magnesian Limestone on the western

DARI INC TON • M IO O u %MOUC,H side of the and then further eastward are overlain by the Sherwood Sandstone that forms the Vale of York. This is in turn overlain on the eastward side of the Vale of York by the Mercia Mudstone and Jurassic Lias which is a sequence of marls and mudstones between 144 and 213 million years old. W A KiH IU ) DONCASTJ WATER QUALITY . SHMM Like other rivers in the upland Pennine areas of Yorkshire, the rivers in the Taking biological samples in a river sources. As a system, it considers RIVERS SWALE, URE & OUSE pollution to land, air and water and the WATER QUALITY CLASSIFICATION TABLE 1995 w a y in which it interacts and impacts on Quality Class Length of Length of Length of Length of the environment as a whole. It also takes Swale Ure Ouse km* Ouse km km* km* Inland Rivers Estuarine a long term view on whether processes are sustainable or make demands on the A - GOOD 125.9 245.1 0.0 0.0 environment that will rapidly exhaust available resources. B - GOOD 189.9 91.7 48.4 10.0 Business which want to operate certain industrial processes, those with C - FAIR 16.4 13.7 49.0 12.7 the greatest pollution potential or those that are particularly complex, must D - FAIR 44.5 0.0 15.4 0.0 apply to the Environment Agency for permission to operate. Their application E - POOR 17.7 0.0 52.9 0.0 m ust contain all the information F - BAD 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 required to assess the impact on the environment, including the effects that *Length includes tributaries polluting releases will have in both the farmers compress cut grass for winter INTEGRATED POLLUTION short term and long term. Agency feed) is around 300 times more CONTROL inspectors use this and other polluting than untreated sewage. Cattle independent information to assess Pollution may harm people and all other slurry is also highly polluting and whether the activity should be parts of the living world. Industrial pesticides from sheep dipping can permitted. If the decision is to allow the materials or the by-products of industrial cause further problems. process, an authorisation is then issued processes constitute many of the worst which includes limits on the amount of Environmental Protection Officers pollutants - those that can do the most emissions to land, air or water. work closely with farmers and harm if mishandled and which are the industrialists in the area to identify hardest to dispose of safely. The role of In , IPC practical solutions to environmental the Environment Agency is to regulate authorisations are applied to two power problems. Since prevention is better these processes so that, where possible, stations at Drax and , than a cure, prosecution of farmers is pollution is prevented, or minimised and organic and specialist chemicals always a last resort. made harmless. manufacturing and animal feed The stretches where the majority of The Agency's authority to regulate preparations. The Agency monitors water quality problems occur are in the industrial discharges stems principally all authorised processes to ensure River Wiske, the River Kyle sub­ from the Environmental Protection Act that conditions are respected and, catchment and the Ouse itself in the of 1990, a key feature of which is the if necessary, will use vigorous legal stretch from Naburn to Selby. These concept of Integrated Pollution Control enforcement to protect the environment. problems are associated mainly with (IPC). This is being established The Agency can also order processes to farm effluents in the upper reaches internationally as the way forward for be shut down if there is a serious risk of and sewage effluents downstream. controlling pollution from industrial pollution. The Agency has a system for classifying the water quality of rivers. Class A and B are of high quality. They are clean enough for salmon and trout to live in and can be used for drinking water. They will also support a variety of invertebrates, including mayflies, stoneflies and most pollution sensitive insects. Class C and D rivers are of fair quality. Coarse fish such as roach, chub and bream can live in them and possibly trout in some C waters. These rivers can be used for drinking water if it is treated. A good variety of invertebrate species can be found apart from the most pollution-sensitive animals. Class E rivers are of poor quality. They can still support coarse fish but cannot be used for drinking water. Class F rivers are badly polluted. Some small animals like worms or midges can live in them but no fish. on the Lower Ouse The Rivers Swal

Moorhen

Swan on the River Ouse The Environment Agency also has the task of regulating the storing and use of radioactive materials and the accumulation and disposal of radioactive waste. Hospitals, universities and industry are all users of radioactive material and are regulated by the Agency. VALUABLE WATER SUPPLIES The good quality river and ground­ waters in the catchment provide a valuable source of water. There are six impounding reservoirs in the area. These on the River Ure are formed by constructing a dam across the river to store water for use in public FLOOD DEFENCE water supply. In addition to the Because so many rivers converge In 1988 a major flood defence reservoirs, water is also extracted for on the Ouse from its large catchment, scheme for Boroughbridge was public supply directly from the River the historic city of York is vulnerable completed. This included riverside Ouse. to severe flooding. To combat this, there embankments, a diversion system for The groundwaters of the catchment are a number of flood defences in and the , a pumping station in the also provide valuable water for domestic around the catchment. These include: town for local water and a bank to protect the town from the Aldborough and agricultural use. Within the • embankments along the Swale from washland. However, in February Carboniferous rocks of the Yorkshire Catterick to its confluence with the 1991, the town was severely flooded Dales, the limestones and sandstones Ure. There are also numerous caused by overtopping of the form minor aquifers, often forming washlands or flood storage basins springs where the rocks outcrop on which help reduce flood levels Aldborough Ings bank. Since then, the hillsides. Springs are important sources further downstream; bank has been raised to provide better of public and private water supply in flood protection. the Dales but are vulnerable to • certain sections of embankment along the Ure upstream of Various schemes protect York from contamination, particularly after flooding. There is a washland at Linton- Boroughbridge; heavy rain. on-Ouse and gate-controlled washlands The Magnesian Limestone and • embankments on both sides of the at Clifton Ings to the north of the city the Sherwood Sandstone are major Ouse upstream and downstream of which can be opened to allow flood aquifers in the catchment. There are York containing an extensive water onto nearby pasture land. In the many water supply boreholes in the washlands system; city itself, there are defences at Acomb Sherwood Sandstone and water quality • embankments on both sides of the Landing, Leeman Road, Lower Bootham, is generally good. The levels and water tidal Ouse. North Street and Lower Ebor Street. quality of the aquifers are extensively These consist of earth embankments, monitored by the Agency. walls and gates. Most water abstractions need to be There is also a barrier across the licensed. The licence states how much River Foss immediately upstream of its water can be taken and how often. To confluence with the Ouse in the city. strike the right balance, the Agency When the Ouse rises to a critical level, carefully monitors the water sources on the barrier can be lowered until the the surface and underground. Using water recedes, preventing backflow river flow measurements, observation up the Foss which could otherwise boreholes and rain gauges, it also flood the city. Water from the Foss itself ensures that licence conditions are is pumped around the barrier into the followed. Flooding along the Ouse in the centre o f York Ouse further downstream. e and Ouse include a local warden scheme where a nominated resident passes flood warning information to local households. Warning sirens may also be in place. The Environment Agency provides local radio stations with up to date information so they can broadcast regular updates. Flood warning information will also be broadcast by AA The Agency uses the latest technology to Roadwatch on many local commercial predict possible flooding and BBC stations during their travel bulletins. Weather pages on Teletext There are a number of ways people (ITV) and weather forecasts on local who live in affected areas can find out television and radio may also include about flood warnings. flood warning information. Those who have agreed to receive flood alerts, will be telephoned by the PLENTIFUL FISHERIES Environment Agency's Automatic Voice Bumble Bee The upper reaches of the Swale and Ure Messaging (AVM) system. This will give are home to populations of brown trout details of the flood warning and a and grayling. Further downstream, contact for further information. below Richmond on the Swale and at West Tanfield on the Ure, coarse fish EWBY HALL become more abundant. Barbel, chub I and dace thrive at Brompton-on-Swale and common bream were recently introduced to the area for angling. Gudgeon and roach are found on the Swale above Topcliffe weir. Further downstream, predatory species such ON OUSE The historic centre of York as perch and pike are common in the lower reaches. There are also significant populations of coarse fish in some of the major tributaries. In the Ure, chub and dace predominate around . Roach, perch, bream, and pike become more abundant in the slower, deeper waters 'ace downstream towards Boroughbridge. Salmon once thrived in the River Ure but their numbers declined in the 1940s SELBY as a result of industrial pollution which he River Ouse at Selby prevented their passage through the RM BYON E-MARSH tidal Ouse. In recent years, salmon parr have been recorded in a few tributaries DRAX and the main river below , where the falls act as an upstream barrier to migratory fish, giving hope for a natural recovery of stocks. The Ouse supports large numbers FLOOD WARNING The Environment Agency also of coarse fish of many different species provides a 'dial and listen' national and also provides the corridor for The Environment Agency operates a salmon entering the catchment. telephone service for information on sophisticated flood warning service Recently, the Ouse has seen the return flooding. Floodcall - 0645 88 11 88 - which uses the latest technology to of sea lampreys after an absence of over is a 24 hour recorded information monitor rainfall, river levels, tides 50 years, which again highlights an service providing up to date details on and sea conditions 24 hours a day, improvement in the water quality of warnings in force across throughout the year. When there is a the tidal river. and Wales. It gives details of those flood risk, warnings are issued to the places most at risk and information general public, the police, local NATURE CONSERVATION about what to do in a flood. authorities and the media, so that those The Rivers Swale and Ure begin their most at risk can take action to protect Local flood alert procedures may also courses in an area of outstanding themselves and their property. be in place in certain areas. These could landscape and conservation value, the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This area has very few areas left of great enough waste which has to be safely disposed of is famous for its limestone scenery, value to be SSSIs. each year. upland moorland and glaciated valleys. As the rivers converge and then Landfill remains the prime method The drystone walls and field barns, become the Ouse, the area is for the disposal of household and other traditionally managed hay-meadows characterised by large areas of ings land. forms of solid waste from industry and and herb rich pastures by the rivers are Traditionally, these areas were managed commerce. Sites suitable for landfill are important features of the Dales as flood meadows and grazed by stock becoming more difficult to find and, landscape. Large areas of the moorland but today they are important as storage as a consequence, are being located at the head of Swaledale are designated areas for flood water to help protect remotely from the urban centres a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) York from serious flooding. Many of of population. for the limestone, gritstone and shale these areas have now gone under the geology and the associated plants and plough but some remain very valuable animals found there. There are many grassland and conservation sites, different kinds of plants, especially in the particularly those in the city itself such hay meadows and some of these areas as Clifton Ings and Fulford Ings. are also protected as SSSIs. The streams and rivers are very attractive, the streams Large areas of the Vale of York were tumbling down steep, rocky gills and forested in medieval times with areas of the rivers meandering across the flat poorly drained land and lowland heath. valley floors between banks lined with Strensall Common SSSI to the north of Reading saves important materials from York remains an isolated area of the going to waste former 'Forest of Galtres' - a remnant of All facilities where waste is handled, what much of the Vale of York looked treated or disposed of must be licensed like before the era of land drainage and by the Environment Agency. The licence agricultural intensification. specifies the types and quantities of WASTE MANAGEMENT waste which can be accepted at the site and the precautions which must be Waste needs to be carefully managed. taken by the site operator to protect the Hazardous waste may pose a serious environment. threat to the environment and in the When waste is deposited in a landfill worst cases can be dangerous to life. site it breaks down to produce a Other wastes may cause a problem by polluting liquid (leachate) and landfill their sheer volume or nuisance value gas (mainly methane). The site operator such as litter, flies and smell. This means must line the landfill site with an the disposal and recovery of waste must impermeable barrier to stop leachate be carefully controlled to ensure that polluting groundwater and landfill gas there is no damage to the environment from migrating into property where it or harm to human health. Enjoying a day angling on the Swale might explode. In some cases, landfill It is estimated that the average gas is extracted from sites and burned alder and willow. There are many household produces approximately to produce heat or generate electricity. waterfalls too, one of the the most one tonne of refuse each year. With over Other waste disposal methods include spectacular being in 250,000 people living in the catchment incineration facilities and chemical Wensleydale. area, this adds up to a vast amount of treatment plants. The scenery changes as the rivers leave the Yorkshire Dales and enter the wide, open expanse of the Vale of York. As the scenery changes, the farming changes too. This area has a higher proportion of arable cropping rather than grazing and the land is more intensively farmed. Floodbanks become a feature and some stretches of river have been altered by man, often centuries ago. Land is ploughed immediately next to small water-courses and over grazing can also be a problem on the riverbanks, leading to a lack of habitats and soil erosion. The River Ure is still a very attractive river for much of its length, with excellent tree cover, but the lower Swale is seriously degraded, with little bankside or instream habitat for wildlife or fish. In contrast to the Dales, the Vale of York Compacting waste at a landfill site However, not all waste is disposed of. Thousands of tonnes of metal and other valuable materials are recycled through a network of scrapyards. Household Waste Sites and other recycling centres take a range of recyclable wastes such as oil, paper, cans, plastic, textiles and even paint. These too are licensed and regulated by the Agency to ensure that they do not harm the environment. Industry and commerce have a Duty of Care to make sure their wastes are only collected by an authorised person and taken to an authorised waste disposal site. Waste carriers also have to be registered with the Agency before they can collect any waste. Illegal dumping (flytipping) of waste at Fishing by Lendal Bridge in the centre of York unauthorised sites is always a problem, particularly in urban areas. Those who The Swale, Ure and Ouse catchment Hemingbrough and Barmby-on-the- are caught flytipping are prosecuted. has a rich and varied history with Marsh. This is part of the trans-Pennine numerous Scheduled Ancient trail linking Liverpool and Hull. Wastes which are the most Monuments (SAMs) within the area and dangerous to people or to the The River Ouse and the River Ure are hundreds of unscheduled ones and environment are called Special Waste. navigable up as far as Ripon, which is archaeological sites. Yorkshire's only They include hazardous or toxic waste the most northerly point on the English World Heritage Site - Fountains Abbey - such as acids, pesticides and asbestos. inland canal system. The canal linking is found on the River Skell at Ripon. Movement of Special Waste from its Ripon to the River Ure at Ox Close lock Cities such as York and Ripon are of place of production to the disposal site is fed directly by the River Skell in Ripon great historical importance, partly must be authorised by the Agency. This city centre. In order to navigate up the because of the rivers which run through provides an opportunity to check that Ure there are weir and lock systems at them. Abbeys were established close to the disposal site is suitable for the waste Boroughbridge and Westwick. The tidal these rivers, such as Jervaulx on the Ure and that it is deposited safely. Ouse is navigable and used for and Easby on the Swale. Roman forts are commercial shipping as well as There is a growing acknowledgement, found at Catterick, Aldborough and recreational purposes such as however, that we cannot continue using ; there are castles at , waterskiing and windsurfing. up natural resources and producing Bolton, Hornby and Constable Burton Canoeing is popular, the main waste the way we do. The government and an ancient mott and bailey can be activities taking place on the Ure has recently produced a National Waste seen at Castle Hill on the Swale. The between and Sleningford Mill Strategy in order to try and address tidal Ouse also has features of historical these problems. The first priority is to and on the Swale at Richmond. Rowing interest such as Cawood Castle and is traditional in York and there are reduce the amount of waste we produce Drax Abbey. and if we must produce waste then we dinghy sailing clubs at Naburn and Acaster Malbis. should try to reuse or recycle it. Only as Recent excavations have been a last resort should it be disposed of. carried out at St. Giles Hospital, near Part of Semer Water in Wensleydale, Everyone has a part to play in this Brompton-on-Swale, where the river had an SSSI and one of only two natural strategy whether at home, at school eroded and partly destroyed the site. lakes in the Dales, is used for water or in the work place. The Agency issues Excavations have also been carried out sports. advice on the safe, efficient disposal of at Boroughbridge where the A1 waste and will play a key role in widening scheme has covered part of delivering the new national strategy. the Roman town. The areas around West Tanfield and Norton Conyers on the Ure • The Agency has a 24 hour have several prehistoric henges. emergency hotline - 0800 807060 - for reporting environmental incidents. There are a number of large estates Pollution, poaching, fish in distress, risks and parklands along the rivers: Newby to wildlife, flytipping, flooding - don't Hall and Bolton Estate at Wensley on ignore it, report it! the Ure; Studley Park on the River Skell; Kiplin and Langton Hall on the River ENJOYING THE SWALE, Swale. URE AND OUSE Walking is popular in this part of the This area of Yorkshire is very popular, country and a wide variety of footpaths with visitors in their tens of thousands exist, including part of the . arriving each year to enjoy the A cycleway exists which follows the countryside, cities and historical features. Ouse along floodbanks between Passing through a lock on the River Foss £~A {yt'yb NORTH EAST REGION ADDRESSES

REGIONAL OFFICE: Environment Agency Rivers House 21 Park Square South LSI 2QG Tel: O il 3 244 0191 Fax: 011 3 246 1889 Minicom: 01904 692 297 — Area Administrative Boundaries NORTHUMBRIA AREA Environment Agency Regional Boundary Tyneside House Skinnerburn Road Area Office Newcastle Business Park Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 7AR Tel: 0191 203 4000 A Regional Headquarters Fax: 0191 203 4004 Minicom: 01904 692 297

DALES AREA Environment Agency House Amy Johnson Way Clifton Moor York Y03 4UZ Tel: 01904 692 296 Fax: 01904 693 748 Minicom: 01904 692 297

RIDINGS AREA Environment Agency Olympia House Gelderd Road Leeds LSI 2 6DD * Tel: 0113 244 01' Fax: 0113 231 211b M inicom : 01904 692 297

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