Applications for a Drought Order have been submitted by Natural Resources Wales to the Welsh Government and by the Environment Agency (EA) for the English stretch of the River Severn. If approved, the order would temporarily reduce the minimum amount of water legally required in the river.
Geoff Maguire from Kidderminster and District Angling Association stated that water levels were probably the lowest he had seen. The EA reports that Clywedog Reservoir in Powys is currently at about 48% capacity and its level has been falling rapidly.
Water is currently being released from reservoirs in Wales and pumped from groundwater in Shropshire to maintain river flow, but the EA says these supplies are under increasing pressure. Matt Lawrence, the agency's environment programme manager, expressed concern that sections of the upper Severn could dry up completely, which would negatively affect wildlife, the river's ecology, and its users.
The EA has already rescued fish from parts of the river in south Shropshire. The Severn is relied upon by six million people for drinking water and by farmers for crop irrigation.