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13
Sept 2022
Oak Beck will take three years to recover from pollution, says Harrogate conservationist
A leading Harrogate conservationist has said Oak Beck will take three years to recover from this week's pollution.
Hundreds of fish are believed to have died when the water turned brown over the weekend. The cause is unknown.
Keith Wilkinson has called on Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency to join efforts to prevent further pollutions in the beck, which he said occur too frequently.
He said:
Oak Beck looking discoloured.
Read more:
- Hundreds of fish killed by pollution on Harrogate's Oak Beck
- Meeting called to hear concerns about state of River Nidd
Oak Beck rises at Haverah Park and empties into the River Nidd at Nidd Gorge.
Dead fish were first spotted in the watercourse at Oak Beck retail park this morning.
The discolouration appears to have affected the stretch from the Hydro to the far side of Knox Lane.
The Stray Ferret met Mr Wilkinson, who is also honorary secretary of Bilton Conservation Group, at Spruisty Bridge on Knox Lane today.
A dead brown trout in Oak Beck today.
Several residents told us they were concerned about the pollution and how seriously it was being investigated.
One person said dog walkers had been keeping their pets on leads to prevent them entering the water. There have also been reports of dead ducks but none were evident during our visit.
Harmful discharges
Mr Wilkinson said a good year for spawning fish on the beck had been ruined.
He said water quality often suffered from the impact of the number of new homes built, as well as harmful discharges entering the drains.
The beck contains brown trout up to several inches long, as well as minnows, bullhead, stone loach and sticklebacks.
Mr Wilkinson said invertebrates on the bed of the beck were also killed and their numbers needed to recover before fish levels could return to normal.
He added that kingfishers and otters had kept away from the river since the incident.
An Environment Agency spokeswoman said yesterday she was unable to comment on what, if any, action it had taken because it was not responding to media inquiries about non life-threatening incidents during the Queen’s mourning period.
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said yesterday:
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