West Penwith Moors and Downs: Groundwater Quality Monitoring Strategy

Descriptions

Natural England is seeking the development of a groundwater monitoring strategy for eleven valley fens within the West Penwith Moors and Downs SSSI located in Cornwall.The aims of the monitoring are to 1.Understand the spatial and temporal variability in groundwater quality feeding the valley fens; 2.Inform our understanding of the condition of the valley fens in relation to groundwater quality; 3. Understand whether any thresholds (e.g., 2mg/l nitrate-N) are exceeded; 4. Inform our understanding of the potential sources of any elevated levels; 5. Provide a baseline to understand the effect of any future changes to land use or other activities within the catchment; and 6. Provide additional water quality data to inform modelling approaches to water quality. A key part of developing the monitoring strategy will be identifying suitable groundwater monitoring locations. The intended contract start date is 13th November 2023 and is for a period of 6 months until 30th April 2024.