River Aire east of Castleford; Ferrybridge C, Eggborough and Drax. Drax takes its cooling water from the Ouse, but both Ferrybridge and Eggborough draw their water from the Aire. Both of these plants stopped generating in 2016, with Eggborough being a stand-by for capacity problems until March 2017. A hydroelectric power station was installed on the Brotherton Weir at Knottingley in November 2017. The £7.5 million project is expected to deliver 500 kilowatts per year and be operational for 100 years. Due to the Aire flowing through the former industrial landscape of West Yorkshire, it had a reputation as being heavily polluted.
Beal, North Yorkshire was recorded as "Begale" in the Domesday Book of 1086. Kellingley Colliery, the last operating deep coal mine in the United Kingdom, was located in the parish until its closure in December 2015. Fishing on the River Aire is controlled by Leeds and District Amalgamated Society of Anglers. The main catches are roach and bream. Bus service 476 operated by Arriva Yorkshire, connects the village with Pontefract, Ferrybridge, Knottingley, Kellingley, Beal, Kellington, Eggborough, Burn, Brayton and Selby The village of Beal was a township in the ancient parish of Kellington in the wapentake of Osgoldcross and liberty of Pontefract in