Gowy (Milton Brook to Mersey) Water Body
Poor ecological status
Get Gowy (Milton Brook to Mersey) data
Attributes
- Water Body IDGB112068060250
- Water Body TypeRiver
- Hydromorphological designationheavily modified
- NGRSJ4382572123
- Catchment area16.251 km2
- Surveillance Water BodyNo
- Length10.449 km
- Catchment area1625.11 ha
Classifications
| Classification Item | 2019 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | Poor |
| Biological quality elements | Poor | Poor |
| Fish | Poor | Poor |
| Invertebrates | High | High |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Moderate | |
| Macrophytes Sub Element | Moderate | Moderate |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | Moderate |
| Acid Neutralising Capacity | High | |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | Good |
| Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) | High | Moderate |
| Dissolved oxygen | Good | Moderate |
| Phosphate | Poor | Poor |
| Temperature | High | High |
| pH | High | High |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | Supports good |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | Does not support good |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Moderate | Moderate |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Moderate or less | Moderate or less |
| Specific pollutants | High | High |
| Copper | High | High |
| Iron | High | High |
| Manganese | High | High |
| Zinc | High | High |
| Chemical | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Priority hazardous substances | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good | |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Fail | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Fail | |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail | |
| Priority substances | Good | Does not require assessment |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | Does not require assessment |
Investigations into classification status
| Classification Element | Cycle | Year | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrological Regime | 2 | 2016 | Supports Good | Uncertain there is a problem |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | 2 | 2016 | Good | Quite certain there is a problem |
Reasons for not achieving good (RNAG) and reasons for deterioration (RFD)
All reasons (RFDs and RNAGs) attributed to the classification elements in this water body.
| Reason Type | SWMI | Activity | Category | Classification Element | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Local and Central Government | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Agriculture and rural land management | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Contaminated land | Sector under investigation | Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Farm/site infrastructure | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor Livestock Management | Agriculture and rural land management | Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor soil management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RFD | Flow | Groundwater abstraction | Water Industry | Hydrological Regime | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor Livestock Management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Barriers - ecological discontinuity | Agriculture and rural land management | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Farm/site infrastructure | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Contaminated land | Other | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor soil management | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor Livestock Management | Agriculture and rural land management | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Mercury and Its Compounds | Details |
| RNAG | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor Livestock Management | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Details |
Reasons for not achieving good status by business sector
The issues preventing waters reaching good status and the sectors identified as contributing to them. The numbers in the table are individual counts of the reasons for not achieving good status with a confidence status of 'confirmed' and 'probable', where the latest classification is less than good status. There may be more than one reason in a single water body. Note, table does not include reasons for deterioration.
| Significant water management issue | Physical modifications | Pollution from waste water | Pollution from towns, cities and transport | Changes to the natural flow and level of water | Invasive non-native species | Pollution from rural areas | Pollution from abandoned mines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and rural land management | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Industry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mining and quarrying | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Navigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Urban and transport | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Water Industry | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Local & central government | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Domestic general public | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recreation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Waste treatment and disposal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No sector responsible | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sector under investigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Objectives
| Classification Item | Status | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Biological quality elements | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Fish | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Invertebrates | Good | 2015 | |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Not assessed | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Dissolved oxygen | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Phosphate | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Temperature | Good | 2015 | |
| pH | Good | 2015 | |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Specific pollutants | High | 2015 | |
| Copper | High | 2015 | |
| Iron | High | 2015 | |
| Manganese | High | 2015 | |
| Zinc | High | 2015 | |
| Chemical | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Priority hazardous substances | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | 2015 | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Good | 2040 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | 2039 | Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Priority substances | Good | 2015 | |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | 2015 | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | 2015 |
Protected areas
| PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Brook NVZ | S634 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Stanney Mill Brook NVZ | S630 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Delamere Sandstone | G46 | Nitrates Directive | |
| River Gowy (Milton Brook to Mersey) NVZ | S629 | Nitrates Directive |
Monitoring sites which have been used to classify this water body
Shows which sites were used for classification for which years within each cycle.