Case study:Minsterley Brook Abandoned Metal Mines

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Location: 52° 38' 28.38" N, 2° 55' 23.22" W

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Project overview

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Status	In progress
Project web site
Themes	Environmental flows and water resources, Habitat and biodiversity, Monitoring, Water quality
Country	England
Main contact forename	Andrew
Main contact surname	Pearson
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Environment Agency
Contact organisation web site
Partner organisations	The Coal Authority (UK)
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Wood Adit

Project summary

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Minsterley Brook catchment includes a number of separate mines as part of the South Shropshire Metal Mining area, including Snailbeach, Tankerville, and Roman Gravels mines. The catchment is part of the Rea Brook which drains into the main River Severn at Shrewsbury. The mines were worked for mainly lead ores, but also zinc ore and latterly barites until closure in the 1940s, leaving spoil deposits and drainage adits which discharge to Minsterley Brook at various points. The mines are a significant source of heavy metal pollution in the catchment, and the discharges from them represent one of the longest continuous sources of pollution in the whole Severn River Basin. http://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=File%3AMinsterley_key_sources_map.jpg

Environment Agency routine monitoring found there were high levels of zinc in Minsterley Brook over most of its length, exceeding the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for the brook (75ug/l). As a result, the watercourse isn't achieving the 'Good status' for water quality as set out in our Severn River Basin Plan. The Boat Level adit discharge is the main source of the zinc (around 3000kg per annum) and other heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, and discharges these pollutants into the Hogstow Brook. Immediately downstream of the Boat Level adit the zinc concentrations are up to 47x the EQS. At Minsterley, the zinc concentrations are 8x the EQS. Downstream of the mines, concentrations exceed the EQS for over 15km, until the Rea Brook reaches Hanwood and dilution from other rivers lowers the concentration to below the EQS.

Ecological surveys of the brooks have found aquatic insects were suffering as a result of these heavy metals, which can settle in river sediments. There is also a lower than expected population of small fish species. There are four other, smaller discharges of metals into the catchment from Snailbeach Spoil Tip, Wood Adit, Roman Gravels and Tankerville spoil tips, which together contribute about a quarter of the metal load in wet conditions. These spoil heaps are listed on the Mining Waste Directive Inventory of sites causing serious environmental harm. Snailbeach Spoil Tip (also known as White Tip) is part of the Snailbeach mine schedule monument, and “ranks as one of the best surviving examples of a lead mining complex". http://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=File%3A120726_Snailbeach_headworks.JPG http://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=File%3A120726_White_Tip_Snailbeach.JPG http://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=File%3A120726_Restored_White_Tip.JPG http://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=File%3ABuddles_Snailbeach_Mine_Perimeter_Track_Copyright_Ian_Watson_Coal_Authority.jpg

The Environment Agency continue to investigate and monitor the water quality in the Minsterley and Rea Brooks, and with funding from Defra have set up a partnership with the Coal Authority to look at options for potentially removing the metals from discharges. The ultimate aim is to construct long term sustainable treatment schemes that deal with the problem at the source and help the Minsterley & Rea Brooks to meet the EQS and return to 'Good' ecological and chemical status.

Investigations to date have identified that the discharges from the Boat Level and Snailbeach Spoil Tip are the most feasible to be treated (subject to pilot trials), and the Coal Authority are carrying out comprehensive flow monitoring of these discharges. Using waters from Snailbeach Spoil tip, the partnership is working with academics and consultants to develop possible treatment technologies, such as ion exchange, to remove the metals from the discharges. Once treatment options have been identified, the partnership will consult with the public and other stakeholders on the next stages.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Copyright Ian Watson Coal Authority

Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district Severn River basin Severn Uplands Subcatchment River name Minsterley Bk - source to conf Rea Bk Area category 10 - 100 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category 500 - 1000 m Maximum altitude (m) 521521 m <br />0.521 km <br />52,100 cm <br /> Dominant geology Siliceous Ecoregion Great Britain Dominant land cover Improved grassland Waterbody ID GB109054049480 Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes GB109054049480 WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Minsterley Bk - source to conf Rea Bk Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body No National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present No Invasive species present No Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Improved/semi-improved grassland/pasture Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure abandoned mine pollution Hydromorphology Biology Fish, Invertebrates Physico-chemical Specific non-synthetic pollutants Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Water treatment methods Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Walkover surveys and water sample data collection Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Ecological survey Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Fish No No No No No Invertebrates No No No No No Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description http://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=File%3AMinsterley key sources map.jpg Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information