The effect of china clay on the fish of St Austell and Mevagissey Bays

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONDuring the production of china clay, a waste of fine quartz, sand kaolin and mica flakes in suspension is produced. Until recently, only a small proportion of this fine material was retained and settled in lagoons and consequently most of the effluent was discharged. Waste produced in the St Austell area was carried by the Par and White Rivers into Mevagissey Bay (see Fig. 1). In 1968 the china clay industry considered a proposal to combine all its wastes arising in the area and to discharge them into the sea via the White River or if necessary further out to sea by a pipeline. The precise location of the pipeline was not denned at that time but, irrespective of position, deterioration of conditions in St Austell and Mevagissey Bays seemed inevitable.