I added my concerns to the EA this morning.

They gave me a reference number (791875, I know I'll lose the scrap of paper it's written on). They also confirmed two other reports on this incident, which is good to know .

They promised feedback within 10 days, something that I'll wait and see if it happens...



Update... as at 09.45

Well the feedback was a little quicker than expected, I've just got off the phone from Martyn Taylor at the EA, he's been on the phone to United Utilities who surprisingly enough have said that the water now flowing in is clear. He asked me for the images, so I've sent them on. More to follow, hopefully.

Good work, well done

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Barbel Fishing Forum
Barbel Fishing Photos

I had a look this morning. I would say that the river is flowing clearer than it was when the photographs were taken, but it is still noticeable that the outflow is not as clear as the river. below the ouitfall, once the river has mixed you can still see brown particulate matter in the water, and some surface scum.
Mark. can you email me Mr Taylor's phone number, and his email please. I would like to bend his ear a little too. Time to remind them that at times they still discharge raw, unfiltered sewage into all three rivers. I need something to gnaw on now the hydro scheme has been shelved.

Are they doing any checks on whether any fish have been affected?

I saw minnows, but that was above the island, where mixing would not have been complete.

P.S.
Below the island, a mink has been raiding the sandmartins nests. And there are fewer nests this year as the cows caused the bank to collapse.

John,

I don't have a phone number for Martyn Taylor, he phoned me, I'll send you his e-mail via pm. I don't think I be appreciative of my e-mail being posted on an open forum.

I'm really not sure as to what action is going to be taken, hopefully the images will act as some kind of evidence. The fact you haven't seen any dead fish may be a good sign.

The EA tend to get quite a bit of flak, but this is really the first time I've had any up close dealings with them, unless you count having my licence being checked once in the last 20 odd years. They seem to at least show some concern. How far it will go, time will tell.


As for the Sand Martins, they used to be quite prevalent, then for no apparent reason went missing for a few (well more than a few) years. The mink may be the reason a few have gone missing now, but from what I can remember there were never in residence back then. For all their faults, the Mink have had a beneficial effect on the River. There are now very very few rats. It used to be alive with them. A sacrifice or a fish or two and a few Sand Martins seems a small price to pay.

John, you have pm...

[QUOTE=drynetter;3694]John,

I don't have a phone number for Martyn Taylor, he phoned me, I'll send you his e-mail via pm. I don't think I be appreciative of my e-mail being posted on an open forum.

Yup, that's why I asked you to e-mail it to me.

I'm really not sure as to what action is going to be taken, hopefully the images will act as some kind of evidence. The fact you haven't seen any dead fish may be a good sign.

The EA tend to get quite a bit of flak, but this is really the first time I've had any up close dealings with them, unless you count having my licence being checked once in the last 20 odd years. They seem to at least show some concern. How far it will go, time will tell.


As for the Sand Martins, they used to be quite prevalent, then for no apparent reason went missing for a few (well more than a few) years. The mink may be the reason a few have gone missing now, but from what I can remember there were never in residence back then. For all their faults, the Mink have had a beneficial effect on the River. There are now very very few rats. It used to be alive with them. A sacrifice or a fish or two and a few Sand Martins seems a small price to pay.

The mink cannot get at the sandmartin colony in Central Stockport, so I am thankful for that. The mink was seen swimming the width of the river, just below the Rugby club island, entered the nest tunnel and returned with a young sand martin. Seems likely it has done so regularly.

I tried to resist saying "Ferret 'cross the Mersey", but failed.


J

I tried to resist saying "Ferret 'cross the Mersey", but failed.


Oh dear....... , coughs, looks at feet and says "TAXI!"

I'm not sure what United Utilities classify as "running clear" but the outflow is still emptying itself into the River and "clear" it certainly isn't.

More shots taken today, so I'll send these on to Martyn Taylor and log another call with the EA.

I'm not going to make this a one person crusade, but if the amount of effluent being pumped in is at a permissible level, then the levels are far too high.

Some streamer weed downstream of the sluice is acting as a kind of filter for all this discharge, I'd be interested to see what results would come back if this were analysed.

More depressingly, I may have spotted the first casualty. Investigation may be a little tricky as it's appears in the margins of the opposite bank to the one I walk. If it is indeed a fish, it's either a semi decent Chub or a small Barb. If anyone walks the bank, you may be able to see it 10-15 feet downstream of the cattledrink where the Sand Martins reside.

Please post the photos in the gallery or attach them to this thread.

I think somebody needs to get hold of that fish and pass it to the EA

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Thermal Imaging
Building Heat Loss, Electrical, Flat Roof Leaks

Ok Glenn, I'll post them up on here if I can find a card reader in work. Other than that it will have to be later on.

I don't want to say what I've seen is a fish just yet, hence the use of the word "may". First impressions are that it could be.

I may be tight for time to get there and back in an hour on my lunch hour, but the more I think about it the more it gnaws away. I'll probably go regardless.


Another strange sight today was an MWS CCTV van driving down the track behind the units at Heaton Mersey. On the side of the van it said "working with United Utilities". It stopped short of the outflow (where there is a smallish bridge of sorts). I may try and find out what they're up to. They stopped at some manhole covers that have been exposed from the undergrowth recently and are a bit on the smelly side... I wonder if there could be any connection?

Almost certainly a chub I would guess, barbs being very thin on the ground in the Mersey. I would be careful of saying that its death was due to the outflow though. As you know Mark, you and I were watching a trout rise yesterday, and that survived the more intense mess that came out of the outflow a few days ago. And there were some other fish present. I don't expect that there have been any fish casualties due to the outflow.
Remember also that this was the first weekend of the season, there were anglers on the Gosjacs platforms and they may well have injured the odd fish.
However retrieval of the fish could still be useful, for if analysed, it could give an indication of recent water quality, provided it was resident in the affected stretch, and did not float downstream from the Goyt or Tame, or simply higher up the Mersey. i suspect you would need to see a few dead fish before the outflow could be blamed.

The manhole covers are on the other bank of course, higher up, and I doubt that they are in any way linked to the sewage farm. Nice to know what they ARE of course. I suspect simple surface drainage fro the industrial estate.