This summer flow rates in English rivers have been at the lowest since 2002, and the situation might get worse next year, with a significant impact on the environment, reports The Guardian.
An analysis of key drought indicators - groundwater, reservoir water levels and river flows – in England shows this past July has been the worst overall for drought in the past 21 years. River flows were lower than usual in 88% of the rivers, while reservoirs were at 64% capacity. For groundwater, about two-thirds of the locations studied had lower levels than usual.
Ellie Ward, policy and information coordinator at Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL), said: “Our resilience to drought is not good enough. This puts nature and people at risk of running out of water”, and called for ambitious action to build that resilience. Low water flows also concentrate pollutants and lead to lower amounts of dissolved oxygen, threatening fish and invertebrates, and exacerbating algae blooms.
Drought was officially declared in eight of the Environment Agency’s 14 areas, while last July was the driest in England since 1935. Several water companies announced hosepipe bans following the unprecedented dry conditions.
The dry conditions may extend into next year and start a three-year drought cycle, like the ones that occurred in 2004-06, 2010-12 and 2017-2019. For river-flow levels to recover, rainfall in the autumn and winter should be higher than average. Recent rainfall in parts of the country provided some relief, but was not enough to replenish rivers, groundwater or reservoirs to normal levels. The parched soil does not absorb water well and much of it runs off.
Mark Owen, from the Angling Trust, says government should take measures to reduce water demand and boost resilient water supplies, including wetland restoration. Reedbeds, peatlands and other wetlands act as a sponge to absorb rain water, which replenishes groundwater aquifers and river flows.
The National Drought Group, chaired by Sir James Bevan, Environment Agency Chief Executive, and with members from government, water companies and other stakeholders, agreed in late August to further steps to manage the current drought, as well as to start work to reduce the risks for the coming year.
Sir James Bevan said: “Water pressures on wildlife and the environment remain high and despite recent rainfall and the pause in the hot dry weather, we must continue to manage water wisely.” And he added: “Both for the coming year and, with the impact of climate change, for the coming decade, a complete gear change is needed for how water companies and all water users, from farmers to households, think about how they use water and understand its fundamental value.”
