Worst Drought In 60 Years Leaves

Reservoir Water Levels Critically Low

UKMA EXCLUSIVE

As we are now heading into winter, this is the time of year that the majority of anglers usually start moaning about the cold and the wet but not this year. After experiencing the one of the driest years on record, many of our top fisheries up and down the country are struggling with critically low water levels. One of the hardest hit groups of waters in the country are all situated in the midlands and are designed as feeder reservoirs. These reservoirs primary duties are to supply and sustain the water levels on the Grand Union Canal and this has lead to Boddington and Drayton reservoirs in Northamptonshire, Clattercote reservoir in Oxfordshire and Earlswood reservoir in Warwickshire holding very low water levels after continued water extraction during the summer months.

Over the past weeks the UKMA office has received calls from numerous anglers voicing there concerns about the water levels at these reservoirs, so UKMA contacted British Waterways to voice these concerns and we received the following statement from John Ellis, British Waterways’ National Fisheries & Angling Manager, here’s what he had to say.

“This year many UK regions have suffered from a sever lack of rainfall with many parts of the country suffering from the worst drought in over 60 years.  The lack of rainfall combined with the high canal demands for water has led to some of British Waterways’ reservoirs reaching their lowest holding levels. Fish welfare is extremely important to British Waterways and during low water level conditions our local maintenance teams and ecology experts routinely monitor the levels of dissolve oxygen and water quality as well as carrying out visual monitoring for signs of fish in distress”.

He continued “Where water levels start to have a potential risk to fish stocks our next step would be to either consider trying to improve water levels or make a decision on whether we should carry out a fish rescue and transfer the fish to a suitable alternative location. During these processes we would be working within our own and the Environment Agency’s strict guidelines on relocating of fish stocks to ensure that they do not suffer from any unnecessary stress or harm”.

UKMA spoke to Earlswood fishery bailiff John Collins who told us “I have been here as bailiff for 5 years and I have never seen the reservoir this low, many locals who have walked their dogs here for many years have also commented that they have never seen the water this low, it has to be at least eight feet down on the normal water level”.

UKMA also spoke to Clattercote and Boddington bailiff John Bonney who told us” at Clattercote you cant fish from the platforms at present as the water is currently six to eight feet down on there normal levels, creating a mud beach that anglers are fishing having to fish from. Boddington is the worst effected with fishing only available from pegs 10 to 36 on the dam wall and 80 to 110 in the bird sanctuary."

John continued “both Clattercote and Boddington have just started to take on water again from the feeding streams but it will take a few good months of rain to restore these waters back to the regular holding levels”. The reservoir least effect by the drought has been Drayton in Daventry. The carp fishing Mecca that built its reputation around huge match weights, now offers sport for the specimen carp angler with fish to well over twenty pounds being caught daily. The venues bailiff Mark Ryder who was pleased to inform us” although the water levels have gone down, the reservoir is still more than fishable with good depths of water found on most pegs and  sport remaining very good from most areas of the reservoir"

.
UKMA have contacted the Met Office's press officer Dave Britton to find out why these incredibly long, dry periods without rain are becoming major part of our weather system. Here’s what he had to say “There is no specific reason why we have seen relatively dry conditions over an extended period.  However we have seen spells of relatively 'blocked' conditions across the UK which tends to divert the normal Atlantic weather systems that bring rain to the UK further south and north, keeping the UK in a more settled regime".

To the question of when will our usual wet autumnal weather systems return? Dave replied “You can check the latest extended forecast for the next 30 days by visiting the Met Office website by clicking on the following link; http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_weather.html.

Foot Note: UKMA would like to thank British waterways management and bailiffs for there assistance writing this story. Over the next few months we will be keep you up to date if there are any further developments.