Spring has arrived in the Harrogate district, with temperatures rising to 13 degrees centigrade in some areas.
Few places are more beautiful in spring than Nidderdale, as highlighted in this image by David Benson, a keen amateur photographer from Summerbridge.
Mr Benson shot this image of Gouthwaite Reservoir this morning.
He said:
“I drive by Gouthwaite Reservoir almost daily so decided to try my hand at a bit of photography and share the beautiful scenery with people that aren’t so lucky to live with it on their doorstep as I am.”
Have you taken any great photos of the Harrogate district? We enjoy showing the best ones. Please send your suggestions to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Read more:
- Dramatic photos show firefighters saving Bilton tree in storm
- Photos reveal hidden history of Harrogate’s abandoned railway tunnel
- Nidderdale landowner sets up curlew conservation project
River Nidd pollution: hopeful signs for fish and wildlife
Clean water is being pumped into the River Nidd amid hopeful signs that most fish survived last weekend’s category one major pollution incident.
A 12-mile stretch between Gouthwaite reservoir and Hampsthwaite turned chocolate brown on Saturday, prompting fears for the predominantly trout and grayling that inhabit the water and other forms of river life.
Yorkshire Water issued a statement on Sunday saying it had suspended safety work at Gouthwaite by its contractor Mott MacDonald Bentley, which it is thought may have stirred up huge quantities of silt.
The River Nidd turned chocolate brown.
The company is excavating a trench as part of a long-term project to install a siphon at Gouthwaite dam to enable it to rapidly reduce water levels in an emergency.
Yorkshire Water has declined to comment since the weekend when asked by the Stray Ferret what action it has taken this week and whether it had conducted an environmental impact assessment before the project began.
John Shillcock, president of Nidderdale Angling Club, last night told the Stray Ferret he had heard from multiple sources Yorkshire Water has installed a pipe and was pumping in clean water from further up the reservoir and over the dam. He added:
“The river is much clearer and the cloudiness has passed on downstream.
“The Nidderdale AC secretary and I visited the river today and were much relieved to see that fish were rising and there was evidence of aquatic insect life.
“So this is good news for now, but Yorkshire Water have not made any attempt to let us or other interested parties know what measures they are intending to take to enable them to continue with the siphon installation without the same thing happening again.”
No fish deaths reported
The Stray Ferret asked the Environment Agency, which declared a category one major pollution incident, if it could clarify what action had been taken this week.
A spokesman said it was an ongoing investigation that would take a while to conclude and no further details were available. He added there were no reports of any fish deaths so far.
The River Nidd last weekend.
Gouthwaite, which is three miles north of Pateley Bridge, is one of three reservoirs in upper Nidderdale, along with Scar House and Angram, which are further upstream.
The other two supply water but Gouthwaite was built to regulate the flow of the upper Nidd.
Gouthwaite is also a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest in Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Major incident opened into River Nidd ‘disaster’
The Environment Agency has opened a category 1 major pollution incident after a 12-mile stretch of the River Nidd turned chocolate brown.
Experts are still trying to assess the extent of the damage to fish and other river life between Gouthwaite reservoir and Hampsthwaite after huge quantities of silt flowed downstream on Saturday.
Anglers and ecologists are calling for action against whoever is responsible and urging the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water, which was carrying out safety work at Gouthwaite, to come up with a recovery plan.
An Environment Agency spokesman said today it “continued to investigate” the Yorkshire Water works, which is is thought may have stirred up the silt that flowed downstream on Saturday.
The spokesman added:
“Large quantities of silt in a river can harm fish and smother aquatic plants and invertebrates, starving them of light and oxygen.
“Whilst there is no longer any silt entering the river system, it may still be visible as it moves downstream. The Environment Agency continue to monitor the situation and assess the impacts to determine what further action may be necessary.”
With the water still discoloured, it remains difficult to assess the impact on river life.
The work at Gouthwaite dam
Dr. John Shillcock, president of Nidderdale Angling Club and a former ecology officer in the area, said:
“In my past experiences, quantities of sediment of this type block out light and can reduce oxygen levels in the river, harming or even killing river life including invertebrates and other organisms on which fish and other river life depend.
“We are awaiting reliable data on the level of sedimentation before we can assess what damage has been done to an extremely precious river system.
“We would like Yorkshire Water to work closely with the Environment Agency to collect as much data and samples as to work out the best course of action to minimise the immediate danger to river life, and to build a deliverable long-term strategy to enable the river to recover from this avoidable incident as quickly as possible.”
Read more:
- River Nidd turns brown after environmental ‘disaster’
- Who is the mystery Good Samaritan carving seats in Nidd Gorge?
The affected stretch of the Nidd is known for grayling and trout.
One angler, who asked not to be named, said the amount of silt would harm oxygen levels on which fish depend. He added:
“There should be some sort of action against whoever is responsible for this. It is an environmental disaster.”
‘Heartbreaking to see’
Alastair Ferneley, vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Dacre Banks, said:
“It’s just heartbreaking to see at the moment — it makes me feel sick in the pit of the stomach.
“As I understand it the slit could choke all the bottom dwelling invertebrates and take out the entire food chain — all the things I watch for: dippers, kingfishers, otters, most of the flying insects that spawn in the rivers, the birds and bats that feed on them.
“I’m hoping it won’t be as bad as a I fear it could be. What we need is a good flood to two to clear the silt out and quickly, but not sure that’s very likely.
“It’s a taste of how fragile the environment and everything that depends on it is.”
A Yorkshire Water spokeswoman said it had nothing to add to its statement yesterday, which said it was working with the Environment Agency to investigate what had caused the sediment in the River Nidd to be disturbed. The statement added:
“We’ve temporarily suspended some work our capital partners Mott MacDonald Bentley were doing upstream at Gouthwaite reservoir while we investigate.”
River Nidd turns brown after environmental ‘disaster’
The River Nidd has turned chocolate brown amid fears for the lives of thousands of fish following an environmental ‘disaster’ over the weekend.
Several miles of the Nidd between Gouthwaite reservoir and Hampsthwaite have been affected.
It is believed safety work by Yorkshire Water at Gouthwaite reservoir, which is just north of Pateley Bridge, may have stirred up silt deposits.
A Yorkshire Water spokeswoman said:
“We’re working with the Environment Agency to investigate what’s caused the sediment in the River Nidd to be disturbed.
“We’ve temporarily suspended some work our capital partners Mott Macdonald Bentley were doing upstream at Gouthwaite reservoir while we investigate.”
The work at Gouthwaite dam
John Shillcock, an ecologist who is president of Nidderdale Angling Club, described the incident as an “environmental disaster”, the scale of which remained unclear. He added:
“It is impossible to know at this stage what the effect has been on the fish and invertebrates.
“There is no sign of rising or dead fish and it is not safe to wade to take invertebrate samples. There is no visibility to know where you are putting your feet.”
Read more:
- Raw sewage released into Harrogate district rivers for 36,000 hours last year
- New flood alerts this evening on River Nidd near Harrogate
He said Yorkshire Water was excavating a trench as part of a long-term project to install a siphon at Gouthwaite dam to enable it to rapidly reduce water levels in an emergency.
He added it appeared this had churned up 120 years of accumulated silt, which had flowed from the reservoir into the river via the discharge control valves.
Mr Shillcock said the angling club had asked to be kept informed about the works and it wanted to know whether an environmental assessment had been conducted to assess risks ahead of works of this magnitude.
He said the Nidd from the dam downstream was a lovely upland trout and grayling water.
The water, he added had been “crystal clear” and of such quality there had been no need to stock fish for the last three years.
These pictures taken yesterday show the colour of the water.
