River Tonge

{{Short description|River in Greater Manchester, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}

{{Infobox river

| name = River Tonge

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| image = Tonge river.jpeg

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| image_caption = Looking downstream from Tonge Bridge, which carries the A579 over the river

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = England

| subdivision_type2 = District

| subdivision_name2 = Bolton MBC

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| discharge1_location= Darcy Lever

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| source1 =

| source1_location = northeast Bolton

| source1_coordinates= {{coord|53|35|44.58|N|2|25|30.42|W|display=inline}}

| source1_elevation =

| mouth =

| mouth_location = River Croal, southeast Bolton

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|53|34|1.56|N|2|24|12.96|W|display=inline,title}}

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| tributaries_left = Bradshaw Brook

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The River Tonge is a short river, splitting Bolton from contiguous Tonge, both in Greater Manchester, England.

The Tonge is formed at the Meeting of the Waters, where Astley Brook, from Smithills in the west, meets the Eagley Brook drawing on more sources to the north. The Tonge meanders southwards, to the east of Bolton, past Springfield where it is joined by Bradshaw Brook, at the end of its route from the Jumbles and Wayoh reservoirs, close to Tonge Fold. The Tonge joins the smaller and thus counterintuitively superseding Croal at Darcy Lever, shortly before the Croal's confluence with the River Irwell.

Tonge Bridge section is a tract north of Tonge Bridge designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).{{cite web | title=Tonge River Section citation sheet | work=English Nature |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000767.pdf | access-date=2006-10-27}}

{{cite web | title=Map of River Tonge Section SSSI | work=Nature on the Map |url=http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000767,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL | access-date=2006-10-27}} The {{convert|0.7|ha|adj=on}} site comprises the steep west right bank of the river. It was designated an SSSI 1987 for its geological interest, principally the fluvial sandstone which has yielded pteridosperm seeds, known as Trigonocarpus. The well preserved nature of the seeds make it of considerable sedimentological and palaeogeographic interest. It is one of only seven geological SSSIs in Greater Manchester.

In 2017, invasive walking catfish Clarias were recovered from the river.{{Cite news

|newspaper=The Bolton News

|title=Environment Agency warning over Clarias Catfish found in River Tonge, Bolton

|date=19 July 2017

|url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/15418391.VIDEO__Warning_after_stinging_catfish_that_can_WALK_are_spotted_in_local_river/

}}