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02
Sept
River pollution group begins mass water sampling in Ure
A group tackling pollution in the River Ure has begun sampling the water for sewage.
The Stop Ure Pollution group was created in June in response to concerns about the state of the river.
It aims to reduce sewage discharges outside of stormy weather, upgrade water treatment facilities and identify pollution caused by run-off from nearby farms.
The 74-mile river starts in Wensleydale and runs through Masham, Ripon and Boroughbridge before emptying into the River Ouse, bear Linton-on-Ouse.
Volunteers sampled water at 45 sites on August 21, from the top of Wensleydale to beyond Boroughbridge, near Aldborough, close to the confluence of the Ure and the Swale.
The work was carried out by 41 volunteers in conjunction with Yorkshire Dales River Trust, a charity that looks after local rivers and assists with river water sampling.
Professor Richard Loutoka, chairman of Stop Ure Pollution, said:
It was great to see that Stop Ure Pollution volunteers made up almost 88% of the citizen scientists sampling the Ure. This confirmed how concerned our residents are about the state of the river and are prepared to do something about it. I’m sure the results will be illuminating and point our way forward.
A section of the River Ure
Charlotte Simons, the trust's catchment partnership senior project manager, said:
This scale of testing has only been made possible due to the support of the volunteers. Their support at two local meetings in Leyburn the first on April 30 about the health the River Ure, sponsored by the Association of Rural Communities, and the second on June 25 when Stop Ure Pollution was launched, has led directly to this sampling being possible, the results of which will be used to identify key issues and areas where work is needed to improve the quality of the river.
Thirty-six SUP volunteers were trained on taking water samples with Ms Simons and her colleague at the trust, Mary Boyd.
Ms Boyd said:
The samples taken will be tested for nitrates, phosphates, faecal bacterial levels, suspended solids, pH and total organic carbon. Measurements will be taken at each sample point for water temperature, conductivity and turbidity. This snapshot will show the relative health of the river along with identifying areas of diffuse and point source pollution.
Citizen Scientists testing the Ure near Hawes.
The samples were sent to laboratories at Wakefield and Coventry. The cost of the testing is being met by Yorkshire Water.
Another sampling day will take place this autumn when the river level is high.
Sampling at multiple sites enables the group to understand the chemical and biological profile of the river.
A short report on the results of the sampling undertaken in August will be presented by the trust at the public meeting being held by Stop Ure Pollution at Leyburn Methodist Church Hall at 6.30pm on October 1.
There will be exhibitions about the water sampling, Stop Ure Pollution and Yorkshire Dales River Trust at the Quaker Meeting Houses at Bainbridge and Leyburn from October 3 to 5.
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