Irwell Vale More Pollution Hunting 30 Jan 2014

Just below Ewood Bridge is Irwell Vale Sewage Works which has 3 outlets from which treated effluent is put into the river. The top one is by the rail bridge.

 The other 2 are at the bottom end of the works and are close together.

 You can see the effluent but not the pipe I couldn't get closer as it is private land.

Down river at the Irwell Vale Bridge where the River Ogden joins the Irwell.

That's the Ogden on the left the very fancy outlet which comes from land which is part of the sewage works, don't think it is used any more, for effluent anyway.

Went up the Ogden and found 2 large pipes, not sure who's or what they are. There is an outlet up the Ogden don't think theses are it.

  No sign of sewage, need further investigation.

Back down at the bridge, what looks like a very old disused outlet.

Further down these two, must find out what the blue ones are for, saw others later in the day. If it comes to that what the black ones are for as well.

Looks clean, could be that it is a culverted stream that come under the East Lancs railway line.
A little down from this one there are pipes crossing the river with outlets by them.

In the background is the rail line so again I think the water is a culvert under the line.

These two must have to do with the sewage pipes. Well I think they are sewage.

Still got some more photos that I took at Nuttall Park Ramsbottom maybe tomorrow I will blog them.

Kick Sampling and Pollution Hunting 30 January 14

Went to my usual spot at Ewood Bridge on the Irwell and did a kick sample. 12 Cased Caddis and 12 Olives(Baetidae) Nymphs. Up on Caddis but as expected for this time of year, down on nymphs.
Didn't do a sample at beginning of January as the river was to high.

I have been finding and photographing, along with Mike Duddy at Salford Friendly Anglers and others, sewage and industrial outflows into the Irwell.
Also Eagley and Bradshaw Brooks, the rivers Croal, Tonge, Ogden and Roch  which all end up in the Irwell, as do quite a few others.
Mike is going to set up a group in SFA, to chart  the pollution problems in the Irwell catchment and with the help of United Utilities and the Environment Agency, hopefully reduce, if not stop it.

It is not always certain what it is that is coming out of pipes and culverts. By the spot that I kick sample is this.

It runs almost all the time, could be a stream that comes off he golf course, a spring, or it could be road run off mixed with the other two. Looks clean but who knows.
A few yards down stream is this dribbling pipe.

Just above the bridge is a different type of outlet.

 Never seen much coming out of it, most likely was connected to the old mill that used to be above it.
As were possibly, these smaller ones a few yards up stream.

Is it road run off or something from the new units where the old mill used to be. Mind you road run off is bad enough.
A little further up stream.

Could be a stream, it runs all the time, but  again could be from the new units where the old mill used to be.
Up thirty forty yards on this bank we have.

I have always thought it was a stream or a spring but who knows what's in there.


Hard to tell what is going into the river without taking samples , all these are in a 150 yard stretch of the river.
It's not uncommon to find places that have as many and at times many more than this short stretch.

River Irwell Above Rawtenstall 14 Jan 14.

When I got down to where the Limey joined the Irwell I started on up the Irwell. A bigger river than the Limey, but with the same problem. THE WALLS.

What can I say, its a river , but not as it should be, and its not going to change. At least it cleaner than it used to be and there are trout in there. But how do you get to them.

Under the road and more walls.

At least there is a bit of grass here, but its still eight foot down to the river.

Industrial Lancashire.

Not getting any better.

Just to make sure the trout can not move up river to spawn, a nasty weir.and then into a tunnel.

Quite a bit up it comes into the light again.

The walls continue.

On and On.

Under another bridge and still no access to the water

Looks like we may be able to get to the water at last.

Yep access at last, might be able to cast with a 7 foot rod.

Look quite open might even get in with a 8 foot, mind when the leaves are on the trees it will not look so open.

Didn't last for long back to the walls.

Really inviting, NOT.

What is it about DOG owners that makes them think that this is acceptable. 

Benjamin Franklin said the two certainty's of life where "Death and Taxes" I think it should be change to three. Death Taxes and DOG SHIT. the curse of anybody who walks in grass, in fact any body who walks anywhere.

Looking back down river. Still no chance.

Concrete river bed no fish here.

 Decide to call it a day. Just noticed the time on my camera is wrong there's no way it was half past five when I took this one. Must be on Cyprus time from my holiday.

Well I found one bit of river that I might be able to catch fish, come the season, only two months to go.

River Limey Rawtenstall to Crawshawbooth 14 Jan 14

In my blog "Walking from Rawtenstall to Burrs Country Park" in November I started down river from where the Limey and the Irwell met.

Today I walked up the Limey, which like the Irwell, is not easy to get into above Rawtenstall. A little above where it meets the Irwell  it goes under ground, under the road and emerges by the ASDA superstore,

 There are fish there but getting to them is another matter. At the top end it goes into another tunnel before emerging and going under the road.

 Looking back at ASDA.

Now on the other side of the road. Still no way to get into the river, unless you bring a step ladder.

A little further up the walls are even higher.

Then its off under ground again.

When it next reappears there is no access at all.

.

 A walk up the main road and we meet the river again as it comes under the road.

This is looking down river from the road bridge.(This is the bridge where I later found the sewage)

Across the road and its looking more like a river should.

Not perfect but a lot better than down river.

The white building in the middle of the picture is a pub, the river runs under it. 

And then the walls start again. Then its under ground again.

And on go the walls.

Whom ever had the contract for the walls must have made some money.

On and on.

And then a weir, for what I am not sure.

And then still more wall.

A bridge that has stood the test of time, they don't build them like that anymore.

Its going where I can not follow, will walk up the road. see if it comes back to me.

 Further up the road it came out of a tunnel, across the road and of we go again

Still the walls but we are away from the road for a while.

Back to the road and on again.

The walls the walls will they ever end.

 Arrived at Crawshawbooth and started back.

I know that there are trout in the river but how to get at them is going to be a problem. Also, at the moment there is of plenty of water, but in the summer it will be a lot less.

On my way back, as I cross one of the bridges over the river there was this god awful stink from the river. 

At first I thought it was coming from the pipe in the picture. But on further inspection  I found it was coming from under the road. The water on the other side of the road was clear and clean.

United Utilities must have sewerage plant nearby, which would appear to be in the need of a up grade, as what was going into the river was disgusting.

I phoned the Environment Agency and reported the sewage leak. They told me that there was a pipe that ran under the road at the bridge and that United Utilities had been tasked to go sort it out.

 The river changed colour and so did the Irwell when this muck got to it.

A good clear river turned into a sewer, will we ever be able to stop this pollution.

Join Salford Friendly Anglers and help us try, it cost nowt so do it..

http://salfordfriendlyanglers.co.uk/