Special monitoring stations
are being installed on three Somerset rivers
to give Environment Agency scientists early
warning of water quality problems
The stations will automatically
monitor dissolved oxygen levels, a factor
that can change following ‘algal blooms’
or pollution and cause sudden fish deaths.
A total of five sites have been identified
as suitable for monitoring as part of a
£45,000 pilot project funded by the
Environment Agency.
Monitoring is already
under way at the Environment Agency’s Huish
Episcopi pumping station on the River Yeo
and at Etsome Sluice on the River Cary.
Elsewhere equipment is currently being installed
on the River Yeo above Long Load pumping
station, on the adjacent Witcombe Bottom
Main Drain and at Monkslease Clyse on the
River Parrett.
Data from each site
is sent by telemetry to the Agency’s office
at Bridgwater where scientists can monitor
water quality round-the-clock and respond
immediately to a sudden drop in oxygen levels.
In addition to warning
of imminent problems, the equipment will
help identify long term trends and changes
in the river environment. The monitoring
stations, that cost £9,000 each, consist
of special sensors and probes inside a protective
stainless steel tube. One of the stations,
at Long Load, is solar powered. Extra probes
can be added to collect additional environmental
data including ammonia and chlorophyll.
‘These monitoring sites
are a major improvement and should give
us a much better understanding of conditions
in a river at any one time. We’ve started
with the most vulnerable sites where fish
have been killed in the past. If this pilot
project is successful, we plan to install
more stations to create a network of sites
across the Somerset Levels,’ said Matthew
Sully from the Environment Agency.
Information from the
monitoring stations will also help the Agency
achieve ‘good ecological status’ for all
waterbodies, a requirement under the new
European Water Framework Directive.
Oxygen levels in rivers
can change rapidly causing sudden fish deaths,
often with little warning. Anglers are usually
among the first to report incidents to the
Agency. ‘Until recently we were operating
blind because we didn’t have the monitoring
capability. The first we knew of a problem
was when dead or distressed fish started
appearing in a river. But now we’ll have
early warning of a major incident and can
respond accordingly,’ said Matthew Sully.
Notes to Editor:
• A shortage of dissolved
oxygen can occur naturally in certain weather
conditions e.g following thunder storms
and warm weather or as a result of excessive
algal growth. It can also result from poor
land management or a pollution event such
as the escape of slurry or silage into a
river. It is replenished through photosynthesis
and by contact between the water surface
and air.
Photos of two of the
new monitoring sites are available from
the Environment Agency’s regional press
office. For more details call 01392 442008.
