Water supply outlook bleak

THE Environment Agency, Meteorological Office and British Waterways have all issued warnings of the results of lack of rainfall on water supply for Spring and Summer.

The Environment Agency confirms that a great part of England is now in drought as a result of two consecutive dry winters with below average rainfall.

Unusually dry

River flows and groundwater levels are exceptionally low for the time of year, and soils unusually dry, across an area encompassing most of the country from the Dorset coast to Grimsby and Norfolk to Wales, including most of the navigable waterways.

Even the northern waterways are also affected by the dry weather and remain at risk of drought, we are told.

During the Spring, growing plants will soak up moisture from the soil, reducing  even more the groundwater supply to streams and rivers.

Met Office

There needs to be well above average rainfall during March and April to ensure a full winter-time recovery of the water resource situation, with the Met Office forecasting the chances of receiving the necessary amounts of rain is very low.

It is now officially forecasting that drier than usual conditions are favoured over most of the country for Spring and Summer.

British Waterways

The Oxford Canal and sections of the Grand Union Canal are of most concern to British Waterways should the dry weather continue into Spring and Summer.

The Birmingham Canal Navigation group is currently showing a high risk, though British Waterways judge that the situation there is less vulnerable due to the alternative water resources available to supply these canals.

For much of the Kennet & Avon Canal within the River Kennet catchment, the groundwater situation is a dominant controlling factor, and given the exceptionally low groundwater levels surrounding the Kennet & Avon Canal the poor prospects of a rapid recovery and the water resource position are cause for some concern at present.

Queen's Jubilee Celebrations

It is anticipated that the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant at the beginning of June will not be affected by the drought in the South East, as the pageant will take place on the stretch of the river from Battersea to Tower Bridge which is supplied by tidal waters.

However, it is likely that river traffic will increase on the non-tidal sections of the Thames as boats travel to the pageant and these may be affected by lack of water.