River Leam
River in Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The River Leam (/lɛm/) is a river in England which rises at Hellidon Hill in Northamptonshire then flows through Warwickshire, including the town of Leamington Spa,[1] named after it. It then flows into the River Avon near Warwick, which flows into the River Severn.
Toponymy
Tributaries
Its major tributaries are Rains Brook, River Itchen, River Stowe and Radford Brook.[1]
Water quality
The Environment Agency measures the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: 'high', 'good', 'moderate', 'poor' or 'bad'. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates, angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated 'good' or 'fail'.[3]
Water quality of the River Leam in 2019:
| Section | Ecological Status | Chemical Status | Overall Status | Length | Catchment | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leam - source to conf Rains Bk[4] | Poor | Fail | Poor | 23.642 km (14.690 mi) | 62.907 km2 (24.289 sq mi) | |
| Leam - conf Rains Brook to conf River Itchen[5] | Moderate | Fail | Moderate | 13.775 km (8.559 mi) | 62.148 km2 (23.995 sq mi) | |
| Leam - conf River Itchen to conf River Avon[6] | Poor | Fail | Poor | 22.553 km (14.014 mi) | 65.72 km2 (25.37 sq mi) |
