The River Crane in West London is showing signs of recovery with life returning following the devastating pollution incident in October 2011. 

Blue Winged Olive

The first monthly kick sampling by volunteers from the Thames Anglers Conservancy revealed that life is returning to the river since the sewage pollution which destroyed over seven miles of river wiping out over 10,000 fish including mature Carp, Barbel and Perch. The pollution was caused by the failure of a Thames Water Penstock gate near Heathrow during routine maintenance, Thames Water have since agreed a £400,000 fund to restore the river to its former glory and improve the robustness against any further incidents.

The sampling by the TAC is part of the Anglers Monitoring Initiative (AMI) and follows training by the Riverfly Partnership, all results are fed back to the Environment Agency.

Kick sampling at the two sites showed the invertebrate community, that is part of the natural food chain, has returned where there is clean gravel but results were not consistent. Signs of the pollution are still evident  with a dead Koi Carp found in a marginal area along with sewage litter.

The recovery of the entire river will be long and any fish restocking unlikely to happen before the spring of 2013.

Olives found at Crane Park

Healthy Gammarus freshwater Shrimp

A Stickleback found at Donkey Wood

Upwing Riverfly just hatched

Small Carp found dead in a Crane Park marginal area

TAC