Table of Contents Summary of Main Findings
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Advisory Visit / Walkover Survey River Tean Staffordshire February 2016 Table of Contents Summary of main findings ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 3 2.0 Catchment / Fishery Overview ....................................................................................................... 3 3.0 Habitat Assessment ......................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Section 1 Dove confluence (SK 10600 34392) to Spath bridge (SK 08652 34846). ......................... 5 3.2 Section 2 Spath bridge (SK 08652 34846) to Beamhurst Bridge (SK0628435926). ....................... 19 3.3 Section 3 Beamhurst bridge (SK0628435927) to Fole (SK0457837114) ....................................... 33 3.4 Section 4 Fole (SK0457837114) to Checkley STW (SK0334537431) ............................................. 40 3.5 Section 5 Checkley STW (SK0334537431) to Lower Tean (SK0182438241) ................................. 53 3.6 Section 6 Lower Tean (SK0182438241) to Upper Tean (SK0080439593) ..................................... 55 Summary of Main Findings The downstream reaches of the River Tean (Section 1) are extensively modified, probably as a result of historic milling activity, resulting in a highly straightened channel with a steep gradient. As a result, in- stream habitat is lacking in pools, greatly restricting adult fish habitat. Reaches upstream of the A518 crossing at Uttoxeter are more meandering, although some sections have evidently been straightened and lack pool habitat. The majority of the river course inspected has been subjected to bed lowering (for land drainage) and the installation of a blockstone toe; this is in various states of repair and along with tree cover influences bank stability. Where bank erosion rates have increased due to the loss of the stone toe and/or trees, rubble tipping is commonly used to reinforce the banks. The river has a mobile gravel bed, with water crowfoot common in unshaded areas. Angling catch returns suggest good populations of trout and grayling in sections of higher quality habitat that escaped the pollution and fish kill of 2014 (downstream of Beamhurst). Japanese knotweed is present at SK 09109 34912 and SK 08929 34915. Despite the history of milling, there are relatively few obstacles to fish migration, most of the historic water control structures having collapsed or possibly been removed during land drainage schemes. The most significant remaining barrier is the weir at Beamhurst Lane (SK 06761 35807). Some structures also remain on the two channels at Fole. Areas where potential habitat improvements could be targeted include: o Fish passage improvement at the abovementioned obstacles. o The straightened reaches, such as Section 1, the reach alongside Checkley STW, and upstream of Mill Lane, Lower Tean, where re-meandering could be considered. o The two channels at Fole, where restoration of the southern channel could provide multiple benefits. o Fencing and tree restoration work on various sections as noted. 1.0 Introduction This report is the output of a walkover survey undertaken by Tim Jacklin of the Wild Trout Trust on the River Tean, near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, during late January and early February 2016. The survey was undertaken at the request of Chris Grzesiok, Fisheries Technical Specialist at the Environment Agency, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands. Comments in this report are based on observations on the days of the site visits. Normal convention is applied throughout the report with respect to bank identification, i.e. the banks are designated left hand bank (LHB) or right hand bank (RHB) whilst looking downstream. Specific locations are identified using the Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference (NGR) system, for example, Rivers Tean and Dove confluence (SK 10600 34392). The walkover survey was conducted on the section of the River Tean between Draycott Road, Upper Tean (SK 00806 39579) to the confluence with the River Dove (SK 10600 34392). 2.0 Catchment / Fishery Overview The headwaters of the River Tean rise to the north of Cheadle, Staffordshire, and flow south and then south-east (approximately parallel to the A50 trunk road) past the villages of Upper Tean, Lower Tean, Checkley, Fole, Beamhurst and Spath before joining the River Dove just to the east of Uttoxeter. The area lies on the boundary between two National Character Areas: Potteries & Churnet Valley and Needwood & South Derbyshire Claylands. Land use in the Tean catchment is predominantly dairy and livestock farming. The Water Framework Directive classification for the River Tean waterbody (GB104028052450) is shown in Table 1. The Tean is in poor ecological status, because of poor classifications for fish and phosphate. The change from good to poor status for fish between 2009 and 2014 probably reflects a severe pollution event in June 2014, which killed hundreds of trout and grayling and thousands of smaller fish species and invertebrates between Checkley and Beamhurst. It is notable that the measures of organic pollution, ammonia and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) are only moderate status. 3 Table 1 Waterbody Classification data. From http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment‐ planning/WaterBody/GB104028052450 2009 Cycle 1 2014 Cycle 2 Overall Water Body Moderate Poor Moderate Poor Ecological Moderate Poor Biological quality elements Good Poor Fish Good Good Invertebrates - - Macrophytes Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined - Moderate Moderate - Phytobenthos Hydromorphological Supporting Elements Not-high Not-high Hydrological Regime Supports-good Supports-good Morphology Supports-good Supports-good Physico-chemical quality elements Good Moderate Acid Neutralising Capacity - High Ammonia (Phys-Chem) High Moderate BOD - Moderate Dissolved oxygen High Good pH High High Phosphate Good Poor Temperature High High Specific pollutants High High Chemical Good Good 4 3.0 Habitat Assessment The river was walked in an upstream direction from the Dove confluence. The river was divided into six reaches shown in Maps 1 and 2. 3.1 Section 1 Dove confluence (SK 10600 34392) to Spath bridge (SK 08652 34846). Section summary: Predominantly an artificially straight channel, with fast-flowing, shallow riffle-glide habitat, lacking pools. Trapezoidal cross-section with blockstone toe to the bank in most areas (some collapsed). Mobile gravel bed, with water crowfoot present in unshaded areas. No obstructions to fish migration Japanese knotweed present at SK 09109 34912 and SK 08929 34915. This reach of river is exceptionally straight and hence is significantly steeper than other reaches of the river where a more natural meandering planform exists. Measured between 5-metre contours on a 1:25000 map, this reach has an approximate gradient of 1 in 260m (0.38%) between Leasows Farm and Noah’s Ark Farm. This contrasts with a meandering reach upstream between Beamhurst Hall and Beamhurst Lane (Sections 2 and 3) which has an approximate gradient of 1 in 395m (0.25%). Inspection of historic maps (www.old-maps.co.uk) shows there was a channel in the present location in 1882 (earliest map available), but that two other channels were present to the north, fed by water diverted by sluices (no longer present) and joining the Dove at SK1030434693 and SK1023835482 respectively. It is not clear which is the original course of the river. At the Dove confluence, the Tean is crossed by two bridges carrying the carriageways of the A50 trunk road. There is a steep, shallow riffle under the bridges with decreasing particle size from cobble to gravel with progress upstream (Photo 1). Immediately upstream of the confluence, the RB is reinforced with gabion baskets overplanted with young alder trees, probably where the river course was altered during the A50 construction. 5 Map 1 Downstream reaches Section 2 Spath to Beamhurst Section 1 Dove confluence to Spath Section 3 Beamhurst bridge to Fole bridge bridge 6 Map 2 Upstream reaches Section 6 Lower Tean to Upper Section 5 Checkley STW to Section 4 Fole to Checkley STW Tean Lower Tean 7 Alongside Noah’s Ark Farm, the channel is straightened and has a trapezoidal cross-section (Photo 2). There is a blockstone toe to the bank which probably dates to channel engineering works in the mid to late C20th; this has collapsed in many areas leading to accelerated rates of bank erosion. In common with the rest of the river, many of these eroding areas have been reinforced with waste concrete/rubble tipped down the bank. The in-stream habitat is predominantly fast-flowing riffle and glide, with pool habitat lacking. The river bed is largely comprised of river-washed gravels. This section is fished by Thorley Angling Society. Upstream of Noah’s Ark Farm, there is a meander in the river and some more natural river features are present, including a lateral scour pool and point bar (Photo 3). Upstream of the field boundary at SK 10159 34601 the river channel is straight, wide (5m at water level, 8.5m bankfull), open (treeless) and a uniformly shallow (mid-calf depth) riffle-glide habitat. The bed is gravel and water crowfoot (Ranunculus sp.) is abundant. Paleo-channels from a former river course are evident in the field on the right bank (Photos 4 – 5). A farm bridge and