{{Short description|River in Gloucestershire, England}}{{For|several similarly named rivers|River Colne (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Use British English|date=September 2017}} {{Infobox river | name = River Coln | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = River Coln.jpg | image_size = 300px | image_caption = River Coln south of Coln St Aldwyns, Gloucestershire | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = England | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = Counties | subdivision_name3 = Gloucestershire | subdivision_type4 = Districts / Boroughs | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = Towns | subdivision_name5 = Fairford <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length = | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= Fairford | discharge1_min = {{convert|0.51|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} 31&nbsp;October&nbsp;1990 | discharge1_avg = {{convert|2.06|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} | discharge1_max = {{convert|6.2|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} 21&nbsp;February&nbsp;1995 | discharge2_location= Bibury | discharge2_min = | discharge2_avg = {{convert|1.33|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} | discharge2_max = | discharge3_location= Fossebridge | discharge3_min = | discharge3_avg = {{convert|0.47|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}} | discharge3_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = | source1_location = Brockhampton, Gloucestershire | source1_coordinates= {{coord|51.910|-1.951|format=dms|region:GB_type:river}}| | source1_elevation = | mouth = River Thames | mouth_location = Lechlade, Gloucestershire | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|51.688|-1.705|format=dms|display=inline,title|region:GB_type:river}} | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | mapframe-zoom = 9 | mapframe-frame-height = 250 | mapframe-frame-width = 300 }}

thumb|left|upright|The River Coln between Bibury and Coln St Aldwyn. The '''River Coln''' is a river in Gloucestershire, England. It rises to the north of Brockhampton, a village to the east of Cheltenham, and flows in a south/south-easterly direction through the Cotswold Hills via Andoversford, Withington, Fossebridge, Bibury, Coln St Aldwyns, Quenington and Fairford. It joins the River Thames to the south-west of Lechlade, near to the confluence with the Thames and Severn Canal.<ref name=ENC>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecn.ac.uk/sites/coln.html |title=ECN Freshwater Site - River Coln |access-date=2008-10-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716163808/http://www.ecn.ac.uk/sites/coln.html |archive-date=16 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }} Environmental Change Network</ref>

Midway between Withington and Fossbridge the river passes Chedworth Roman Villa.

Extensive gravel pits between Fairford and Lechlade, now redundant, have been flooded to form the eastern component of the Cotswold Water Park. They are fed and drained by the Coln.<ref>http://www.waterpark.org/ Cotswold Water Park</ref>

The river is host to many species of freshwater fish including brown trout and grayling.<ref name=ENC/>

==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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

Water quality of the River Coln in 2019: {| class="wikitable" |- ! Section !! Ecological<br/>Status !! Chemical<br/>Status !! Overall<br/>Status !! Length !! Catchment !! Channel |- | {{waterqual_title |desc= Coln (Source to Coln Rogers) |asset= GB106039029991}} | {{waterqual_mod}} | {{waterqual_fail}} | {{waterqual_mod}} | {{convert| 27.138 |km|mi|abbr=on}} | {{convert| 89.882 |km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} | |- | {{waterqual_title |desc= Coln (from Coln Rogers) and Thames (Coln to Leach) |asset= GB106039029992}} | {{waterqual_poor}} | {{waterqual_fail}} | {{waterqual_poor}} | {{convert| 28.025 |km|mi|abbr=on}} | {{convert| 52.25 |km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} | |}

==See also== *Tributaries of the River Thames *List of rivers in England

==References== {{reflist|2}}

{{S-start}} {{River confluence start|River=River Thames}} {{River item line|upstream=River Ray (south) |downstream=River Leach (north)}} {{S-end}} {{Commons category|River Coln, Gloucestershire}}

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