This August, the Environment Agency (EA) recorded exceptionally dry conditions for the Hertfordshire and North London area.

Environmental stress was evident this summer as the EA saw a marked increase in reports of environmental incidents e.g. low flow conditions, dry rivers, algal booms and dead fish/fish in distress from low oxygen levels. The effects of the drought continue to persist into September here in the Colne catchment - the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project reported ‘piles of dead and dying shrimp and fish in the Misbourne at Old Amersham’.

Since the 1^st April, the Hertfordshire and North London Area received only 23% of the long term average effective rainfall (i.e. rain available to help recover water resources after dampening soils, evaporation and uptake from plants).

In July, the little rain we did receive fell in short bursts, leaving soils chronically dry. Groundwater levels and river flows decreased at nine EA indicator sites in this area, with exceptionally low levels reported at Ballingdon Farm near the River Ver.

It is predicted that water resource levels will not be replenished by rainfall until winter at the earliest. The EA have responded to the dry conditions by enforcing abstraction restrictions (read more here), conducting regular river checks and launching the ‘Love Water’ campaign (see @LoveWaterUK and #ShowWaterSomeLove). The Environment Management team are monitoring the sites known to be most effected by dry conditions and recording their data here.

If you see any signs of environmental stress such as fish in distress or low flow conditions, contact the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

References:

1.        Environment Agency (August 2019). Our Response to Environmental Drought Conditions in Hertfordshire and North London, Environment Agency
2.        Environment Agency (August 2019). Dry weather situation in Hertfordshire and North London

Piles of dead and dying shrimp and fish in the Misbourne at Old Amersham, left stranded by the retreating river.

Reference: Twitter @Chilternstreams

Piles of dead and dying shrimp and fish in the Misbourne at Old Amersham, left stranded by the retreating river.

Reference: Twitter @Chilternstreams

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