News

Focus on PAA's Freshwater Ecology Services

Our water quality survey programme helps to support environmental compliance and monitoring of landscape-scale land use change.

Since 1997 our freshwater survey team has sampled and analysed the water quality of sites as diverse as the uplands of northern England to the low-lying Somerset Levels. We have monitored urban streams at Jersey, Southend, Stansted and Heathrow airports and measured biological diversity of large woody debris in headwater streams on Exmoor.

In a typical year (e.g. 2013) we handle about 154 aquatic invertebrate samples which are processed in our laboratory facilities at our headquarters in Buxton. However, we have the capacity to significantly increase this number. Our biologists identify the majority of specimens to species level with voucher specimens sent off for expert identification. To compliment our biological monitoring work we use a range of manual and automated methods of chemical water quality sampling. A major component of this is the measurement and analysis of turbidity and colour to monitor the effect of changes in upland land management practices. In the lowlands, the emphasis is on sampling and analysis of nutrients to detect and make recommendations on diffuse water pollution issues.

Over the years we have recorded some fascinating finds, a few rarities and worked with our clients to develop a wide range of measures to improve water quality, or feel free to download one of our related fliers using the links below:

We have worked at airports around the UK for many years, monitoring the impact of their runoff to surface waters (i.e. streams and rivers), particularly in relation to winter use of deicants which have a high biological oxygen demand and can cause pollution. These are lowland streams and the fauna is characterised by invertebrates such as freshwater shrimps and hog-louse, snails and dragonfly nymphs.

At the other end of the spectrum, we also monitor the impact of creating debris dams on headwater streams in Exmoor National Park as part of the award-winning Holnocite catchment management and flood alleviation project with the National Trust. Here, tumbling woodland streams contain high numbers and diversity of prinstine water invretbrates such as stonefly and mayfly nymphs and caddis larvae and many species are of restricted distribution.

Over the years we have monitored recovery of streams following one-off pollution events such as a burst high-pressure water main washing large quantities of soil into a small brook and smothering the natural stream bed, and the impact and recovery of stream pollution from mine tailings on a watercourse containing the protected white-clawed Crayfish. In both these cases remedial measures were undertaken to restore stream beds, and invertebrate monitoring was used to demonstrate the degree of recover achieved.

Currently we are working with a windfarm proposal to develop plans to monitor the impact of their operations on upland streams draining an already damaged upland blanket bog. Here, macro-invertebrate surveys will be carried out in conjunction with detailed stream flow monitoring and water colour analysis to ascertain the potential impacts and monitor mitigation in the form of proposed changes to peatland management.

Right now we are following with great interest the Environment Agency’s programme for the next cycle of River Basin Management Plans, due to commence in 2015. This will require waterbodies to achieve ‘good’ ecological status by 2021 and we are making sure that our biological and chemical water quality tools and techniques are ready to tackle the new challenges that this will bring.

For more information on any aspect of biological monitoring contact our Principal Ecologist Helen Hamilton on email: helen.hamilton@pennyanderson.com. Alternatively, feel free to download one of our related fliers using the links below.

Aquatic Invertebrates and Biological Water Quality Monitoring
Water Framework Directive & Water Quality Assessment
Wetlands – Sustainable Urban Drainage
Applied Hydrology and Development
Ecological Survey Calendar