Limestone is extracted from Barton and Forcett Quarries, situated to the north of Richmond, and sand and gravel is extracted from alluvial deposits and the river channel from quarries in the lower reaches
The main issues on the River Swale are:
RURAL POLLUTION
MINE POLLUTION
PHYSICAL MODIFICATIONS
POLLUTION FROM WASTE WATER
The River Swale is the northernmost tributary of the Yorkshire Ouse, rising in the eastern Yorkshire Dales near Keld and flowing east through Richmond and Catterick before turning south to join the River Ure at Myton-on-Swale. Its length is 118 km (73 miles) with a catchment area of 1,446 km² (558 sq. miles). Major tributaries include Bedale Beck, Cod Beck, and the River Wiske.
Its name, from the Anglo-Saxon Sualuae, means "rapid and prone to flooding." Forty years ago, spate events took 3 days to build up and 3 days to run off. Now the river can reputedly rise 3m in 20 minutes and cause a bore similar to that on the Severn.
Historically, lead mining in Upper Swaledale has left a legacy of pollution. Today, land use is mainly agricultural: sheep and cattle grazing dominate the Dales, while arable farming is common in the Vale of Mowbray. Commercial and industrial activities other than tourism are generally confined to the larger centres of the population such as Richmond, Catterick, Thirsk and Northallerton.
