Water quality tested along the Rive Ure

This sampling was done to get a picture of the quality of the river and to identify sources of diffuse and point pollution and the turn-out of volunteer samplers shows the strength of concern by local residents.

The water along the length of the River Ure was sampled at 45 sites on August 21, from the top of Wensleydale to beyond Boroughbridge, by 41 volunteers working with the Yorkshire Dales River Trust (YDRT) and Stop Ure Pollution. 

The chairman of SUP, Prof Richard Loutoka, commented: ‘It was great to see that SUP 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.’

And Charlotte Simons, YDRT’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 (SUP) 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 at a session at Lords Bridge on the Bolton Estate on August 14 with Simons and Mary Boyd from the YDRT. They formed the core of samplers on the 21st, making up 10 teams of volunteers, sampling from the top of the Ure at Lunds all the way downstream to at Aldborough, which is south of Boroughbridge, close to the confluence of the Ure and the Swale.

When thanking the water samplers afterwards  Boyd said: ‘All the kits and samples arrived safely and the samples [for faecal bacterial levels] reached the lab by 5pm [on August 21]. The lab has confirmed that there were no issues with any of the samples received. ‘

The samples were sent to ALS independent accredited laboratories at Wakefield and Coventry with the cost of the testing being met by Yorkshire Water.  

There will be another sampling day when the river water is high.  Boyd explained:  ‘The purpose of the testing is to get snapshot of the health of the River Ure by measuring a series of elements.  Sampling at multiple sites along the Ure and its tributaries will enable us to understand the chemical and biological profile of the river, and to help us gauge the relative importance of different pollution sources – under the same weather and river conditions.

 ‘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.’  

A short report on the results of the sampling on August 21 will be presented by YDRT at the public meeting being held by SUP  at Leyburn Methodist Church Hall at 6.30pm on Tuesday October 1. A full report will be prepared by YDRT after the second day of testing.

At the meeting on October 1 people will be invited to join SUP and donations will be welcome. SUP aims to be able to conduct fully independent testing as a follow up to the two sampling days carried out with YDRT. 

There will be exhibitions about water sampling, Stop Ure Pollution and Yorkshire Dales River Trust at the Quaker Meeting Houses at Bainbridge and Leyburn from October 3 to 5.