Shropshire water levels worse than drought of 1976

Weeks of dry weather have left Shropshire's rivers with half as much water flowing through them as in the 'great drought' of 1976, it was revealed today.

During that scorching summer the River Severn had a monthly average of 40.6 cubic metres of river flow per second, bosses at the Environment Agency today said.

But after the unprecedented dry spell over recent months, the current flow is just 21.4 – nearly half the volume.

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Local experts say thousands of fish are in danger of being 'badly' affected by the lack of water.

The level of the Severn, at the Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury, currently stands at 0.46 metres, one of the lowest readings on record for this time of year.

The river level at Buildwas was 0.42m at 6am this morning while at Bridgnorth it was 0.53m.

Other rivers in the county are also under severe strain, with the River Roden at Rodington recording a level of 0.22m, the Reabrook at Hookagate showing a reading of 0.21m and the River Tern just 0.15m.

Rob Alderson, Shropshire chairman of the National Farmers' Union, said he was very concerned about the lack of rainfall after seeing barely six inches of rain on his farm near Ludlow since October 19. "Six inches is a very, very small amount of rain," he said.

He said there had been dew every morning, but that was quickly burned away by the sunshine and unseasonably warm weather.

"We need some steady rain to soften the ground now, so if we do get some rain it can soak in."

He said the situation could become worse than in 1976 because there was a bigger demand for water now, with more homes than there were 30 years ago and the popularity of appliances such as dishwashers.

Brian Preece, who runs Bridgnorth Angling Club, said: "The last time it was this bad was during the heatwave in the 1970s. It's worrying for the Severn and the fresh water pools."

Peter Dykes, who runs Market Drayton Junior Fly Fishing Club, said: "Most of the club's waters are falling. I can see there being a hosepipe ban shortly."

See also:

• Rain at last as Shropshire river levels lowest in 30 years

• Leader: Shortage of water hitting crisis point