Southern Streams summary report – Action for the River Kennet
The Southern Streams farm cluster tested water quality on the River Kennet’s Southern tributaries, monitoring Ammonia, Phosphate and turbidity approximately monthly from June 2024 to May 2025.
This included two tributaries (the Shalbourne Brook and Suddene Stream) and
adjoining water bodies (including the Kennet and Avon canal, and two ponds receiving surface water from the surrounding catchment). The sites were chosen to increase the understanding of pollution sources within the catchment, and how this relates to features including sediment ponds and sewage treatment works.
The primary findings were:
1) The sediment pond (flowing to the canal by Dark Lane) has substantially elevated phosphate and ammonia concentrations.
2) Wilton Pond had the best water quality of all sites over the period, despite historic issues with pollution.
3) The Suddene stream has consistently high concentrations of phosphate, increasing in its lower reaches beneath the sewage treatment works and tributaries.
4) Water quality was better in the lower reaches of the Shalbourne, downstream of recent habitat restoration works by Action for the River Kennet.
You can see the whole report by following the link here or at the top of this page.