HH62/2/LINLIT/13

Transcription

[Page] 12

The River Almond has its origin in the Parish of
Shotts, Mid Ward of Lanarkshire. Formed by the
junction of two small streams, at a point about a
quarter of a mile east of Batten, the river has but a
very short course in that county - not more than two
miles, or three miles if Hassockrig Burn is included.
Its length through Linlithgowshire and Mid-Lothian
down to the sea, following the windings of the stream,
is, roughly, twenty-eight miles. Eight of these lie
wholly within Linlithgowshire, and twenty form the
boundary between the two counties.

The total length of the river from the junction of
its two sources is thus about thirty miles. From the
junction of its two sources to its exit point at the sea,
as the crow flies, is twenty-three miles. The general
direction of the flow of the river is north-easterly.
The water along its whole course has an ochry colour.
Fish cannot live in it. Horses, cattle, and sheep
drink sparingly of it, if at all, and for industrial
purposes it is almost useless on account of its
destructive effects upon boilers.

The How Burn, a tributary, rises in Lanarkshire,
but does not flow into the Almond until it reaches
Linlithgowshire.

The polluting tributaries in Lanarkshire are Has-
sockrig, one of its sources, and a burn from Benhar:
those in Linlithgowshire are, on the north, How Burn,
Loch Shotts Burn, Caw Burn, Beuch Burn, Broxburn,
and Ecclesmachan or Niddry Burn; and on the south,
the Breich Water, which receives from the north,
Meadowfoot Burn, Fauldhouse Burn, and Crofthead
Burn: while those in Edinburghshire are the Breich
Water receiving Muldron Burn, the Longhill or

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West Calder Burn, Harwood Burn, Linnhouse Water,
East Calder Burn, and Gogar Burn.

Any other pollutions enter the Almond directly.

The actual situation of the source of each pollution
is indicated in the accompanying Plan (drawn 1 inch
to the mile) by discs, marked in arithmetical pro-
gression from west to east, as the river is followed
downwards. On referring to the numbers in this
Report while perusing the Plan, the nature of at least
the principal pollutions is seen.

These numbers, with the main deleterious contribu-
tions, are as follows:-

No. 1. Wester Hassockrig Colliery - Dross washing.
- Two small tanks are used with the
object of favouring precipitation, but
these are practically useless.

No. 2. Messrs. R. Addie & Sons' No. 2. Ironstone
Pit. - Irony water from Pit and 'blaes'
heaps.

No. 3. Benhar Company's Pit - situated near to
Addie's No. 3 Pit. - Irony water pumped
from this pit is allowed to settle in a tank
before being discharged. This arrange-
ment has, however, not materially
lessened the pollution of the river.

No. 4. Messrs. R. Addie & Sons' Ironstone Pit,
No. 3. - From this pit, now simply used
as a pumping station, 528,000 gallons of
irony water are thrown out daily (the
figures have been furnished me by the
owners). There is, besides, soakage of
irony water from the old bings.