Water Quality
Good water quality is essential for a healthy river system. In and along a river with good water quality we can expect to find a rich and varied mix of insect, fish, mammal, bird and plant life, referred to as good ‘biodiversity’.
Many of these plants and animals are dependent on clean water for survival and are often also dependant on each other, each playing an important part in the food chain within the river environment.
There are many reasons why a river may not have good water quality, including chemical and organic pollution from industrial, agricultural and domestic sources, increased amounts of silt in the river as a result of poor land management practices and illegal dumping, or poor management of waste near watercourses.
In rivers where water quality is poor the biodiversity is greatly reduced, as some wildlife cannot survive as the water becomes more polluted. This can lead to a breakdown in the food chain and a loss of further wildlife, as food becomes scarce.
No one river can be described as being simply good or bad, as water quality varies from stream to stream within a river catchment and even within each stream. The Ballinderry River is no exception.
How is water quality monitored?
Water quality is monitored using Biological and Chemical Indicators
Both biological and chemical status are scored
on a scale of High, Good, Moderate, Poor and Bad
Water quality in the Ballinderry River system ranges from High to Bad.
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