Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Britain was more of an urban than a rural society
(Lane, 1978).
Reductions in industrial pollution during the
latter part of the 20th century led to a marked
improvement in the chemical water quality of
many British rivers. As a result, there has been
an associated recovery in the biological diversity
of plants, invertebrates and fish (Lester, 1975;
Holland and Harding, 1984; Whitton and Crisp,
1984; Davies and Walker, 1986; Langford
et al.
,
2009; Langford
et al.,
2010). However, the recovery
of river systems, including individual reaches, can
vary enormously and the specific mechanisms
determining the type and pace of recovery are
not fully understood, even though the basic
principles have been outlined (Yount and Niemi,
1990; Milner, 1996). Although the biological
recovery of British rivers gives an indication of
the processes involved, there are few datasets
suitable for studying long-term changes in biology
and chemistry and also in which linkages can
be examined. Nevertheless, long-term biological
trends linked with changes in legislation, regulation
and technology can provide a valuable insight into
those interventions that are most effective both
in economic and environmental terms. Similarly,
measures that have little effect on recovery can be
identified, leading to better allocation of resources
(Yount and Niemi, 1990; Milner, 1996; Masters
et al.
, 2007; Langford and Frissell, 2009; Langford
et al.,
2009, 2010).
a concern over pollution in the river (Spicer,
1950) water quality monitoring began in the late
19th century (Worthington, 2010), while regular
biological surveys began in the 1950s. The River
Trent therefore has one of the longest and most
complete water quality monitoring datasets of
any river in Great Britain. This information is
augmented by individual studies and surveys from
the 1930s (Woodiwiss, 1964; Lester, 1975; Jarvie
et al.,
2000).
Severe water quality problems probably began
when sewerage systems were built to serve
industrial towns in the mid-1850s (Lester, 1975;
Haslam, 1991). In 1887 some 3000 salmon (
Salmo
salar
) were caught in the Trent, but 10 years later
only 100 fish were caught (Lester, 1975). By the
1950s salmon were virtually absent from the river.
In 1951 several fishless reaches of the river were
so polluted they were considered a potential danger
to public health (Sheail, 1998). Affected reaches
included the Stoke-on-Trent section of the Trent
and its tributary the Fowlea Brook, about 80 km
of the River Tame from its source to its confluence
with the Trent, and some reaches of the River
Erewash in the east Midlands (Sheail, 1998). Water
quality at Nottingham was equivalent to secondary
treated sewage effluent (Martin, 1994). In 1957 it
was estimated that £50 million would be needed to
tackle pollution from sewage and industry (Sheail,
1998).
The Trent and its tributaries were affected
by several industrial processes associated with
vehicle manufacture, metal finishing, the pottery
industry, brewing, textiles and hosiery and a
large coal and steel industry (Jarvie
et al.,
2000).
Unlike other major rivers in the UK, a large
proportion of this industrial development and
the attendant workforce were located in the
headwaters of the catchment (Lester, 1975), so
some tributaries were polluted right up to their
source (Langford
et al.,
2010). The Trent was
affected by several of these polluted tributaries
draining highly populated and industrialized areas.
For example, the River Tame (flowing through
Birmingham), the Fowlea Brook (Stoke-on-Trent)
and Bottesford Beck (Scunthorpe) contributed
significantly to the poor quality of
The River Trent: a brief history
of pollution
The River Trent and its tributaries drain a major
part of the English Midlands. The main river rises
north of Stoke-on-Trent, flowing through Burton-
on-Trent, then Nottingham before discharging
into the Humber estuary (Figure 21.1). The
catchment area is 10 450 km
2
and the river is
274 km long. Approximately 6 million people
live in the catchment, concentrated mainly in
Birmingham, the industrial area known as the
Black Country, Stoke-on-Trent and the Potteries,
Nottingham, Leicester and Derby (Harkness, 1982;
Martin, 1994; Jarvie
et al.,
2000). Because of
the Trent
