By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Navigation through Gloucester Docks could be restricted to protect the supply of drinking water to Bristol due to the drought affecting the River Severn.
The lack of rain this summer has led to seriously low water flow and levels along Britain’s longest river.
This has prompted the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales to apply for a six-month drought order.
This measure is aimed at maintaining supported water resources along the river for longer at lower quantities, rather than risk running out of supported water and causing significant and sudden level declines that would stress ecology and impact migratory fish.
The River Severn is artificially supported by reservoir and groundwater releases but this year it has needed large and continuous releases to maintain a healthy river.
This has lowered water levels in Llyn Clywedog Reservoir at the head of the Severn in Wales to drought action triggers, a level which requires changes in operations via a drought order to conserve water.
If approved, the proposals will see an abstraction cap put on abstraction at the Docks for the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal at 300 million litres per day when flows at Deerhurst or Haw Bridge gauge are below 1,200 million litres a day.
The Canal and River Trust pumps around 245 million litres of water a day into the Docks which then flows along the canal before being diverted into Bristol Water’s treatment works, more than 14 miles down the line at Purton. Around half of Bristol’s drinking water supply comes via the Gloucester and Sharpness canal.
A substantial amount of water is lost from the canal each time the lock is used at the Docks and Sharpness.
And the Canal and River Trust says the impact of the drought order will mean the closure of navigation through Gloucester Lock to maintain essential water in the canal.
Passage at Sharpness will be for commercial traffic only but they may try to accommodate leisure vessels with commercial shipping where possible.
Jay Clements, managing director of English Holiday Cruises Ltd whose Edward Elgar hotel boat is based at the Docks, said they continue to operate under the current conditions.
His company is engaging with the relevant authorities while the drought order application is considered.
“We recognise the seriousness of the current drought and the need to protect the River Severn’s water resources,” he said.
“Our concern is not with responsible drought management, but with ensuring that any measures affecting navigation are proportionate, based on up-to-date operational evidence, and introduced only where genuinely necessary.”
A Canal and River Trust spokesperson said the charity is working with the Government and partners to manage this year’s “exceptionally” dry weather and all the implications this brings.
“For the canal network, our priority is to keep water flowing to provide water to support the operation of Sharpness Docks and to meet the obligations for drinking water supply to Bristol Water,” they said.
“The drought order means that we will have to limit the intake of water into the canal from the River Severn.
“The impact of the drought order will result in the closure of navigation through Gloucester Lock in order to maintain essential water in the canal.
“Passage at Sharpness will be for commercial traffic only, but we will try and safely accommodate leisure vessels with commercial shipping where possible.
“The current picture is changeable due to the developing nature of a drought; we will be updating customers and stakeholders of any additional measures we may need to take in line with the government’s approach following the Drought Order notice period.”
People have until August 25 to object to the drought order application to Defra and the Welsh government. If approved it would be in place for six months.