River Key
{{Short description|River in Wiltshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox river
| name = River Key
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| image = File:River Key, Purton Stoke - geograph.org.uk - 438519.jpg
| image_size = 220
| image_caption = Key at Purton Stoke
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| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = England
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| subdivision_type3 = Counties
| subdivision_name3 = Wiltshire
| subdivision_type4 = Districts / Boroughs
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| source1 =
| source1_location = Purton, Braydon Forest
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|51|35|11|N|1|51|57|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation =
| mouth = River Thames
| mouth_location = Cricklade
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|51|38|22|N|1|51|27|W|display=inline,title}}
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The River Key is a tributary of the River Thames in England which flows through Wiltshire.
Course
The river rises at Braydon Forest near Purton and runs north-east through Purton Stoke, joining the Thames on the southern bank near Cricklade,Fred. S Thacker The Thames Highway Vol II Locks and Weirs 1920 just upstream of the A419 Road Bridge.
The river was crossed by the now-derelict North Wilts Canal a few hundred yards south of Cricklade. In December 2000, as part of regeneration of the canal, rescue work was started on the River Key Aqueduct.[http://www.northwiltscanal.org.uk/ North Wilts Canal Trust] The river was also crossed by a bridge of the Midland & South Western Junction Railway.
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 and 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.{{cite web |url=http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/help/glossary |website=Catchment Data Explorer |title=Glossary (see Biological quality element; Chemical status; and Ecological status) |publisher=Environment Agency |date=17 February 2016}} 30px Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Open Government Licence v3.0]. © Crown copyright.
Water quality of the River Key in 2019:
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| Section | Ecological Status | Chemical Status | Overall Status | Length | Catchment | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{waterqual_title |desc= Key (Source to Thames) |asset= GB106039023650}}
| {{waterqual_mod}} | {{waterqual_fail}} | {{waterqual_mod}} | {{convert| 10.479 |km|mi|abbr=on}} | {{convert| 27.757 |km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} | |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{River confluence start|River=River Thames}}
{{River item line|upstream= River Churn (north)
|downstream=River Ray (south)}}
{{S-end}}
{{Wiltshire}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Key}}
{{Wiltshire-geo-stub}}
{{England-river-stub}}