N RA- N orth W e s -L 14- CHAPTER TWO - UPPER IRWELL SUB-CATCHMENT National Rivers Authority Guildbourne House Worthing Please return this book on or before last date shown below. Renewals can be obtained by contacting the library. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY 0 6 9 7 4 8 IRWELL CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN CONSULTATION REPORT CHAPTER TWO - UPPER IRWELL SUB-CATCHMENT Front Cover photograph : Upper Irwell, Canoe and Fish Passes and Weir at Ramsbottom This report has been produced on recycled paper in line with NRA policy UPPER IRWELL CONSULTATION REPORT CONTENTS Section Page No. Index of Maps 9 Upper Irwell Sub-Catchment Details 10 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Catchment Description 12 1.2 Hydrology 13 1.3 Hydrometric Network 14 1.4 Hydrogeology 15 1.5 Flood Defence 16 1.6 Water Quality 17 September 1994 2 Irwell CMP Chapter Two - Upper Irwell Sub-Catchment CONTENTS 2. CATCHMENT USES AND ACTIVITIES Page No. 2.1 Flood Defence 18 2.1.1 General 18 2.1.2 Local Perspective 18 2.1.3 Flood Warning 19 2.1.4 Objectives , 1 9 2.1.5 Environmental Requirements 19 2.2 Development ' 20 2.2.1 General 20 2.2.2 Local Perspective 20 2.2.3 Local Planning Policy 20 2.2.4 Future Development in the Catchment 21 2.3 Potable (Drinking) W ater Supply 22 2.3.1 General 22 2.3.2 Local Perspective 22 2.3.3 Supply Objectives and Standards 23 2.3.4 Customer Supply Requirements 24 Water Quantity Water Quality Groundwater Quality 2.3.5 Environmental Requirements 24 Industrial and Agricultural Abstractions 25 2.4.1 General 25 2.4.2 Local Perspective 25 Industrial General Agriculture Spray Irrigation 2.4.3 Supply Objectives and Standards 25 2.4.4 Customer Requirements 26 Water Quantity Water Quality 2.4.5 Environmental Requirements 26 September 1994 3 Irwell CMP Chapter Two - Upper IrwelJ Sub-Catchment CONTENTS Page No. 2.5 W ater Power (including Mill Rights) 27 2.5.1 General 27 2.5.2 Local Perspective 27 2.5.3 Environmental Objectives 27 Water Quality Water Quantity Physical Features 2.6 Resource Usage 28 2.6.1 General 28 2.6.2 Local Perspective 28 Surface Water Groundwater 2.7 Effluent Disposal 29 2.7.1 General 29 Continuous Effluents Intermittent Effluents 2.7.2 Local Perspective 29 Continuous Effluents Intermittent Effluents 2.7.3 Environmental Objectives 30 2.7.4 Environmental Requirements 30 Water Quality Water Quantity 2.8 Landfill Sites 31 2.8.1 General 31 2.8.2 Local Perspective 31 2.8.3 Objectives 31 2.8.4 Environmental Requirements 31 Water Quality Water Quantity Physical Features 2.9 Mineral Extraction 33 2.9.1 General 33 2.9.2 Local Perspective 33 2.9.3 Objectives and Standards 33 2.9.4 Environmental Requirements 33. Water Quality Water Quantity Physical Features September 1994 4 Irwell CMP Chapter Two • Upper Invell Sub-Catchment CONTENTS Page No. 2.10 Groundwater Protection 35 2.10.1 General 35 2.10.2 Local Perspective 35 2.11 Fisheries 37 2.11.1 General 37 2.11.2 Local Perspective 37 2.11.3 Environmental Objectives 38 2.11.4 Environmental Requirements 38 Water Quality Water Quantity Physical Features 2.12 Conservation 39 2.12.1 General - - .............. - 39 2.12.2 Local Perspective 39 2.12.3 Aquatic Invertebrates 41 2.12.4 Environmental Objectives " 42 2.12.5 Environmental Requirements 42 Water .Quality Water Quantity Physical Features 2.13 Landscape and Heritage 44 2.13.1 General 44 2.13.2 Local Perspective 44 2.13.3 Environmental Objectives 45 2.13.4 Environmental Requirements 45 Water Quality Water Quantity Physical Features 2.14 Recreation and Amenity 47 2.14.1 General 47 2.14.2 Local Perspective - - - ................... ^ 2.14.3 Environmental Objectives 47 2.14.4 Environmental Requirements 47 Water Quality Water Quantity Physical Features 2.15 Angling 49 2.15.1 General 49 2.15.2 Local Perspective 49 2.15.3 Objectives 49 2.15.4 Environmental Requirements 49 Water Quality Water Quantity Physical Features September 1994 5 Irwell CMP Chapter Two - Upper InveM Sub-Catchment CONTENTS Page No. 3. - CATCHMENT OBJECTIVES 3.1 Flood Defence Objectives 51 3.1.1 General 51 3.1.2 Objectives 51 3.2 Water Quantity Objectives 52 3.2.1 General 52 3.2.2 Objectives 52 Water Abstraction Surface Waters Local Hydrometric Objectives Groundwaters 3.3 W ater Quality Objectives 54 3.3.1 Water Quality Classification 54 a) Present Water Quality Classification Objectives b) Future Water Quality Classification Objectives 3.3.2 EC Directives 55 a) Directive on Dangerous Substances in Water b) Directive on Urban Wastewater Treatment c) Directive on Water Quality for Freshwater Fish d) Directive on Abstraction of Surface Water for Drinking 3.3.3 Groundwater Protection Objectives 56 3.4 Physical Features Objectives .58 3.4.1 General 58 3.4.2 Objectives 58 Development Control Potable Water Supply, Agricultural and Industrial Abstraction Mineral Extraction and Landfill Sites Fisheries Conservation Landscape and Heritage Recreation and Amenity Angling September 1994 6 Irwell CMP Chapter Two - Upper Irwell Sub-Catchment CONTENTS Page No. 4. CURRENT STATE OF THE CATCHMENT 4.1 State of Catchment: Flood Defence 60 4.1.1 General 60 4.1.2 Issues Identified 60 a) Catchment Wide Issues b) Site Specific Issues 4.2 State of the Catchm ent: W ater Quantity 62 4.2.1 General 62 4.2.2 Local Hydrometric Network 62 River Level Recording Rainfall Monitoring 4.2.3 Issues Identified 63 a) Catchment Wide Issues b) Site Specific Issues 4.3 State of the Catchment: Water Quality 64 4.3.1 Water Quality Classification - 64 a) Present Water Quality Classification Objectives b) Future Water Quality Classification Objectives 4.3.2 EC Directives 64 a) Directive on Dangerous Substances in Water b) Directive on Urban Wastewater Treatment c) Directive on Water Quality for Freshwater Fish d) Directive on Abstraction of Surface Water for Drinking 4.3.3 Issues Identified 65 a) Catchment Wide Issues b) Site Specific Issues 4.4 State of the Catchment: Physical Features 70 4.4.1 General 70 4.4.2 Issues Identified 70 a) Catchment Wide Issues b) Site Specific Issues September 1994 7 Irwell CMP Chapter Two - Upper Irwell Sub-Catchment CONTENTS Page No. 5. ISSUES AND OPTIONS 5.1 General 71 5.2 Catchment Wide Issues 72 5.3 Site Specific Issues 73 September 1994 8 Irwell CMP Chapter Two - Upper Invell Sub-Catchment INDEX OF MAPS Map No. Title Facing Page No. 1 Upper Irwell Location 10 2 Upper Irwell Catchment with Infrastructure 12 3 Hydrometric Network 14 4 Summary Geological Map 15 5 River Network 16 6 Licensed Abstractions: Public Water Supply 22 7 Licensed Abstractions: Industrial & Agricultural 25 8 Water Power 27 9 Effluent Disposal 29 10 Landfill Sites 31 11 Fisheries 1 : River Habitat Potential 37 12 Fisheries 2 : Actual Fish Species Present 37 13 Fisheries 3 : Shortfalls in Habitat Potential 3 7 14 Designated Sites of Conservation Importance 39 15 River Invertebrate Diversity 41 16 Landscape and Heritage 44 17 Recreation and Amenity 47 18 Flood Defence: River Corridor Land Use Plan 51 19 Flood Defence: Objectives 51 20 Water Quality: Present Classification Objectives 54 21 EC Directive Compliance <■ 55 22 Flood Defence: Flood Risk Areas .60 23 Flood Defence: State of the Catchment 60 24 Flood Defence : Existing Levels of Protection 60 25 . Water Quality : State of the Catchment 64 26 Site Specific Issues Location Map 71 September 1994 9 Invell CMP Cliapter Two - Upper Invell Sub-Catchment 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 uU ot 30 30 28 UPPER IRWELL LOCATION 28 26 KEY 26 Irwell catchment boundary 24 24 Upper Irwell Sub-Catchment 22 boundary 22 Sub-Catchment boundary 20 20 Built up area 18 Watercourse 18 Culverted section 16 16 Canal 14 Irwell Catchment Management Plan 14 Upper Irwell Sub-Catchment 12 12 June 1994 Map 1 10 NRA 10 08 V ' National Rivers Authority 08 North West Region 06 06 04 04 02 02 SD N SE 00 A 00 SJ SK 98 98 96 96 10 km _l 94 I____ L J____ L 94 92 92 S J SK 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 "72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 UPPER IRWELL SUB-CATCHMENT DETAILS (MAP 1) Area 186 km' Population 175,000 MAIN TOWNS AND POPULATIONS Bury 63,390 Radcliffe 32,032 Ramsbottom 12,228 Tottington 12,141 Rawtenstall 10,500 ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS District Councils:- Bury Metropolitan Borough Council Rossendale Borough Council Blackburn District Council (Part) Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council (Part) NRA:- North West Region - South Area Water Companies:- North West Water Ltd Principal Sewage Treatment Works:- Bury Rossendale TOPOGRAPHY Ground Levels Min. Level 50 mAOD Max. Level 475 mAOD GEOLOGY Solid Geology:- Predominantly Carboniferous Coal Measures and Millstone Grit Series Superficial Geology:- Variable - Giacial Till (Boulder Clay) Sand and Peat. September 1994 10 Invell CMP Chapter Two - Upper Invell Sub-Catchment UPPER IRWELL SUB-CATCHMENT DETAILS WATER RESOURCES Availability:- Groundwater - Generally site specific Surface Water - Good availability FLOOD PROTECTION Length of Designated Main River > 91.91 km. (maintained by NRA) Riparian owned debris screens cleaned by the NRA on a best endeavours basis 4 WATER QUALITY Length of River in National Water Council Class 1993 Assessment Class 1A (Very Good) 0.0 km.