Hundreds of fish rescued from 'drying up' Shropshire rivers
Fish have been rescued from drying up rivers as water levels in the mighty River Severn are being kept artificially high by using water stored in underground 'dinosaur' rocks.
Staff from the Environment Agency went to the River Redlake at Bucknell, in Shropshire, last week and rescued around 300 brown trout.
Close to the south Shropshire border they also rescued 16 Atlantic salmon from the River Teme at Leintwardine, as the rivers continue to suffer from a prolonged dry spell. Even though the region suffered huge flooding earlier in the year, the amount of rainfall has not been enough.
"We've been out rescuing fish again today due to low river flows!," the Environment Agency Midlands tweeted.
Staff want anyone who spots fish in distress to call 0800 807060.
Meanwhile the Environment Agency is using water from a massive underground aquifer in North Shropshire to make sure the River Severn does not drop too low. The rocks were laid down during the Triassic epoch in Earth's history when dinosaurs ruled the plant.
The river, measured at Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury, is being kept around the 50cm depth level by the use of water from reservoirs in Wales and more than 100 million litres of groundwater a day.
Rob Davies, a county-based hydrometry and telemetry officer working for the Environment Agency in the midlands tweeted that it is a busy time for the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme, which is used most years to support the level of the River Severn.
He said: "We're pumping over 100 million litres of groundwater a day into River Severn to support flows and demands of abstractors and ecological needs of the river are met.
The Shropshire Groundwater Scheme is the largest groundwater regulation scheme operating in the UK. It draws groundwater storage within sandstone formations underlying North Shropshire. Water's abstracted via boreholes and discharged through buried network of pipes, either directly into Severn, or via a tributary.
He says that the aquifer is so immense that both agriculture and the EA can abstract. But they monitor levels "very, very closely to ensure we don’t have any negative effects. We have hundreds to monitoring points measuring groundwater levels pre, during and post pumping."
Kevin Voyce, a technical specialist in hydrogeology at the Environment Agency, said in a blog that the River Severn requires some degree of support most years, and this year is no exception.
"Reservoir storage in Clywedog and Vyrnwy and groundwater levels remain healthy following a very wet winter. February saw widespread flooding in the Midlands, with that month being the wettest February on record and the winter overall was the fifth wettest ever recorded. Meanwhile, April saw only 40 per cent of monthly average rainfall and that dry spell has continued in to May.
"So despite the heavy winter rainfalls, the recent dry weather has seen the river level beginning to fall triggering the first releases of water to boost river flows. Certainly, without that extremely wet winter, water would have had to be released into the Severn earlier in the dry spell in order to maintain the river levels."
Mr Voyce added: "The value of managing and protecting the river, both now and in the future, is becoming more evident, particularly if we are to deal with the challenges posed by climate change.
"We need to remain vigilant and adapt our management of the river in response to the extremes of weather posed by both flooding and dry weather.
"During dry weather conditions please use water wisely to help preserve and maintain the habitat of the River Severn."
That message has been reinforced by Severn Trent Water.
In an email to customers in the region, they said: "With our raw water levels being lower than we would like, and demand due to be high, we all need to work together to keep everyone’s taps running this summer."
They say they are "fixing leaks faster than ever and investing hundreds of millions in our water supply every year."
But they added "we could use your help too."
"We need you and your family to use less water over the next nine weeks. And if you’re already doing your bit, we’d like you to talk to your neighbours, family and friends, too.
"The good news is, it’s easy to save water and can even save you money. There are lots of things you can do, and we can help."
They are asking their customers to cut their shower time from 10 minutes to five minutes, use a watering can instead of a garden sprinkler, clean cars with a bucket and sponge, and check for leaks at home.
