Introduction
Action Irk & Roch was established in March 2004 and currently focuses on the valleys of the River Irk and its main tributes, Wince Brook and Whit Brook. It is likely to expand to cover the River Roch in Rochdale and the River Beal in Milnrow and Shaw.
In the past the rivers of this part of Greater Manchester changed colour from one day to the next, a result of the bleaching and dying works that took water from them and discharged used dyes and waste back into them.
The many ponds and lodges in the Irk and Roch river valleys are a further reminder of the area’s industrial past. The Irk has been culverted along much of its length and in parts the course of the river has been significantly altered.
For many years the area was also heavily populated. Sewage discharged into the Irk and its tributes led in the past to a highly polluted river with little wildlife.
More recently, as the area’s mills and factories closed, the water quality in the rivers started to improve. The last few years have also seen greatly reduced pollution from sewage thanks to major investment and considerable improvements in the quality of wastewater treatment.
The Beal and Roch now have thriving populations of brown trout and chub. There are even pike in parts of the Roch. The Irk has also seen considerable improvements and in 2004 there were occasional sightings of brown trout.
Action Irk & Roch is a partnership between Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and the Mersey Basin Campaign. The project has New Opportunities Fairshare Funding, enabling a series of projects to be undertaken with many local groups.
The funding has allowed the community in the town of Middleton to make a lasting and significant improvement to the surrounding river valleys and green corridors for the first time.
These projects are all linked geographically and by a way-marked route that helps to engender a sense of regeneration through a considerable area of river valley.
Contact Details
Mike Cummings
Project Co-ordinator
Healey Dell Visitors Centre
Dell Road
Rochdale
OL12 6BG
TEL: 01706 860164
FAX: 01706 350459
E-mail: m.cummings@merseybasin.org.uk
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