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River levels 'exceptionally low' as drought bites

Kirk EnglandSouth West environment and tourism correspondent
BBC An image of the River Exe at Trews Weir where river levels are so low that atlantic salmon are struggling to migrate upstream to spawn. You can see rocky areas exposed by the lower water level and a rusted bike that has been thrown into the river BBC
The river Exe has seen its lowest ever recorded level at Trews Weir in Exeter, with low levels also reported on the Hayle and Gannel in Cornwall

Rivers in Devon and Cornwall have dropped to "exceptionally low" levels in places, after the prolonged hot, dry weather, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

At Trews Weir on the Exe in Exeter, Atlantic salmon are struggling to migrate upstream to spawn due to the "lowest flows ever recorded", said Tim de Winton, from the EA.

Thousands of fish have also been rescued from rivers that were drying up, following reports of them being in distress at sites across the two counties.

Devon and Cornwall are in drought, a hosepipe ban is in place and there are continued warnings over the risk of wildfires.

A man in a blue checked shirt stands by the River Exe at Trews Weir in Exeter. The weir is in the background and the water flowing over it is subdued.
Tim de Winton from the Environment Agency said fish were "desperate to migrate up river" on the Exe but were struggling to do so, due to low flow levels at Trews Weir in Exeter

Low rivers levels have led to a "triple whammy" for nature and wildlife, said Simon Stennett of the Devon Wildlife Trust.

"High water temperatures, lower oxygen levels and more concentrated pollution" are a real concern, he said.

"Also, as river beds dry out and wildlife gets pushed into smaller pools and refuges, not only do we see fish deaths but also really significant impacts on the whole river ecosystem.

"We lose the invertebrates that help make up the food chain."

"We are seeing record winter rainfall and very dry summers and we need to work out how to hang on to that water to keep it in the landscape," Stennett added.

'Landscape arteries'

Dr Frances Hopkins, a marine biogeochemist from near South Brent said: "We think about rivers as being the arteries of the landscape, that bring life to the land, so it can be really troubling when we see river levels so low."

As part of her work with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Hopkins studied the River Avon in Devon.

"The recent low river levels are a sign of changing weather patterns globally.

"This summer shows that we are not immune to climate change."

It follows reports that some rivers in Europe, including the River Rhine, had also fallen to record lows.

A woman with brown hair and a green vest stands in front of the River Avon at Avonwick, South Devon, where rover levels have fallen after the prolonged dry, hot weather
Marine biogeochemist Dr Frances Hopkins said the very low river levels this summer were a sign of how the climate was changing

In Devon, alongside the River Exe, the rivers Culm, Clyst, Creedy, Teign, Torridge and Bovey are seeing very low river flows. The Hayle and Gannel in Cornwall are also being impacted, the EA said.

The organisation helped rescue thousands of fish, including 650 at Bickley Mill on the Exe near Tiverton in August, with another 500 rescued on the upper River Hems, a tributary of the River Dart.

People are being urged to contact the EA if they see fish in distress, such as gasping or crowding at the surface of the water.

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