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.
Yorkshire Water has urged visitors to its reservoirs not to swim in the water as the weather warms up.
The warning comes after several tragic water-related incidents in the UK. It also comes after an increase in reports of people entering reservoirs.
Anyone who does see someone in the water in need of help should call 999 and ask for the fire service immediately.
Gaynor Craigie, head of land and property at Yorkshire Water, said:
“As the weather warms up it is important visitors to our reservoirs are not tempted to get into the water to cool off.
“Low water temperatures can cause cold water shock that may lead to hyperventilation, increased blood pressure, breathing difficulties and ultimately death.
“Underwater machinery and the currents associated with their operation are also a potential hazard for people choosing to enter the water.”
Read more:
A man who fell out of a canoe in the River Ure at West Tanfield, near Ripon, died on May 21. A second man in the canoe managed to get out of the water and went to hospital.
A 13-year-old boy drowned in the River Calder at Brighouse, West Yorkshire yesterday.
Raw sewage released into Harrogate district rivers for 36,000 hours last yearYorkshire Water released raw and untreated sewage into Harrogate district rivers and becks on 3,800 different occasions last year for a total of 36,000 hours.
The figures, which were shared with the Stray Ferret by Yorkshire Water, show the scale of river pollution that the Environment Agency said is causing harm to the environment.
Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full which can happen during increased rainfall.
Some of the data is below:
‘Wouldn’t even let dogs in’
Yorkshire Water said the sewage has been diluted by rainwater and it is investigating the environmental impact of the storm overflows. But people who use and enjoy the rivers said they were concerned about the pollution. Harrogate district rivers such as the Nidd, which runs through Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough, offer some of our most scenic places to visit.
Kath Martin, who runs the Facebook page Keep Nidd Gorge Gorgeous, said the Nidd “can get very nasty” due to the pollution.
She said:
“I wouldn’t let children or even dogs in the water”.
Kath was part of the campaign that fought to protect Nidd Gorge from a major new road and said “it’s an area we have to protect.”
She added:
“It needs someone at the top to do something about the pollution. We have to address it.”
Concern
Whilst the raw sewage that lurks in Nidd or the Ure makes it unappealing for anyone wanting to wild swim, its impact on local wildlife could also be severe.
Environment Agency data from last year revealed that every section of the River Nidd that runs through the Harrogate district failed annual water pollution tests due to the river being contaminated.
David Clayden is secretary of the Harrogate Flyfishers’ Club. Members fish on the section of the Nidd that runs through Darley, close to where Yorkshire Water released sewage over 2,800 hours last year.
He said he was concerned about the figures and added the club will soon testing the water to try and gauge its impact on the fish.
He said:
“Sewage takes oxygen out of the water so fish can’t breathe. This is particularly important for trout which we fish. They need clear water.”
“The club would want to know that every effort is being taken to maintain the river in a lovely, as well as fishable, state.”
Harm to the environment
The Environment Agency told the Stray Ferret that nationally, the number of sewage spills has increased by 27% since 2019.
It said this was, in part, due to increased monitoring of water companies.
Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said:
“The Environment Agency is working actively with the water companies to ensure overflows are properly controlled and the harm they do to the environment stopped.”
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:
Alert resident averts Ripon travel chaos again“Combined sewers carry both foul water from homes and businesses as well as rainwater which falls onto impermeable areas such as paved areas, roofs and highways. As rainwater can be unpredictable, we have permitted storm overflows on our sewer network to act as a relief valve. They help to reduce the pressure on sewers during heavy rainfall events and stop the system from backing up and flooding homes and gardens by allowing heavily diluted wastewater to be discharged into watercourses. This is permitted by the Environment Agency and closely monitored by them and us. Many storm overflows have preliminary treatment such as screens or storm settlement before any discharge is made.
“We are seeing a combination of factors, from urbanisation to climate change, frequently testing the design and capacity of our network. At the same time, increased awareness of the operation of storm overflows is driving an important debate on what society sees as acceptable. We’re committed to supporting the Defra Storm Overflow Taskforce activity in ending pollution from storm overflows.
“We will be investing £137 million by 2025 in storm overflow improvements, investigation and increased monitoring. We are also investigating the environmental impact of 158 frequent spilling overflows as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). As frequency of spill does not necessarily equate to environmental harm and environmental permits do not set spill threshold limits, these investigations will be key to understanding environmental impact, and what action needs to be taken to resolve any impacts.”
North Yorkshire County Council has performed another u-turn to avoid travel problems for people going for vaccinations in Ripon.
For the second time in seven weeks, the council’s highways department has had to hit the brakes on plans to close a bridge on a key diversion route.
The bridge over the River Ure on Boroughbridge Road was due to close for inspection all day tomorrow.
But alert resident Paul Stockburn pointed out that such a move would have caused problems because Boroughbridge Road is already serving as a diversion for a section of the nearby Dishforth Road that is closed for road works.
Had the closure gone ahead, it would have created difficulties for people driving along Boroughbridge Road in and out of Ripon.
The bridge, which is half a mile from Ripon racecourse vaccination centre, was first due to close for inspection on 19 January.
But six days earlier part of Dishforth Road closed for eight weeks for work by Yorkshire Water. It remains closed.
Conflicting closure signs on the Dishforth and Boroughbridge roads. But the bridge over the River Ure will be open tomorrow
When Mr Stockburn pointed this out, the highways department said it would re-schedule the bridge closure when Yorkshire Water’s pipe renewal work was complete.
So Mr Stockburn, who lives in Copt Hewick, was surprised to see road closure signs appear again this week. He told the Stray Ferret:
“I couldn’t believe my eyes because I know that the Dishforth Road is still going to be closed tomorrow.
“The county council appear incapable of working out that eight weeks from 13 January gives a finish date of 10 March.
“Unbelievably, they were about to make exactly the same mistake.
“You wonder, did they ask Yorkshire Water first, before deciding they were going to close the bridge on 5 March?”
After receiving a call from Mr Stockburn, the Stray Ferret contacted NYCC to let it know the Dishforth Road closure was ongoing.
Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the council, apologised and said:
“Yorkshire Water has been undertaking an eight-week programme of works on Dishforth Road therefore our contractors scheduled the one-day bridge inspection for this Friday when the work was due to be complete.
“Unfortunately Yorkshire Water need to extend their works until March 14 so we are in the process of rearranging the bridge inspection and have removed the advance notice signs.”
Read more:
Prior to the start of its work, Yorkshire Water sent a letter to all households in Copt Hewick. It said:
“We understand that these works will be inconvenient, which is why we’ve liaised closely with North Yorkshire County Council highways department regarding every aspect of this essential scheme.’”
The importance of the Boroughbridge Road diversion route, increased on February 2 when the covid vaccination centre opened at Ripon racecourse.
Young farmer given chance to run Washburn Valley farmYorkshire Water has appointed a new tenant for a farm it owns near Swinsty Reservoir, as part of a scheme to encourage young farmers and sustainable land management.
The company announced the starter scheme last year amid concerns about the lack of farmers aged under 40.
It revealed today it has appointed 23-year-old Robert McAneney as the first tenant under the new scheme.
Yorkshire Water will rent Scow Hall Farm in the Washburn Valley to Mr McAneney for five years.
It will then help him find a permanent residency and rent the farm to another tenant for five years as part of the company’s Next Generation programme.
Mr McAneney grew up on his family small-holding and currently works on an arable and Christmas tree farm in Darlington.
Read more:
- Yorkshire Water launches affordable scheme for young farmers
- Council warns against driving to Harrogate district beauty spots
View of Swinsty Reservoir from Scow Hall Farm
He plans to keep a flock of Oxford Down sheep and Cheviot mules alongside other livestock at Scow Hall Farm.
Mr McAneney said:
“I’m really excited to start this new chapter. When I got the call from Yorkshire Water I was at work, out in the fields ploughing – my life changed overnight, and I immediately started planning what I want to do at Scow Hall Farm.
“To have this kind of opportunity at this age is amazing, and the team at Yorkshire Water have been really supportive. I’m most looking forward to being able to develop Scow Hall Farm into a more sustainable farm and increase my flock to substantial numbers.”
Yorkshire Water’s Next Generation programme was created as part of its Beyond Nature scheme, which supports farmers with sustainable land management.
Solar farm proposed for SpofforthYorkshire Water could build a solar farm on its wastewater plant near Spofforth.
The company has submitted an environmental impact assessment to the council for its site on Ribston Road, near the village.
The plans are still in their early stages and it has not been decided how much space to allocate for the solar panels.
Yorkshire Water, which is the second largest landowner in the county, plans to develop energy at 150 of its sites as part of a plan to become carbon net-zero by 2030.
A spokesman for the company said the sewage farm would continue to operate alongside the solar panels.
He added:
“Many of Yorkshire Water’s treatment works include land that could be used for different purposes, such as ground mounted solar arrays.
“These allow us to maximise the value of otherwise unused land, while providing renewable energy to offset the consumption of existing on-site assets.”
Read more:
In November the company submitted proposals for a similar solar scheme at its sewage works in Bilton.
The plans attracted concern from Leeds Bradford Airport, which said in its consultation response that the panels could dazzle pilots.
Alert motorist averts double road closure travel chaosRoad users in the Ripon and Boroughbridge areas have been spared potential travel mayhem today thanks to a sharp-eyed motorist.
Paul Stockburn, who lives with his wife Sandra in Copt Hewick, noticed both North Yorkshire County Council and Yorkshire Water were due to have diversions in place on the same day.
Copt Hewick is located on the outskirts of Ripon between the Dishforth and Boroughbridge roads.
Mr Stockburn told the Stray Ferret:
“Every household in the village received a letter from Yorkshire Water giving advance notice of an eight-week programme of pipe replacement work that would close a section of Dishforth Road between New Road and Strait Lane. That work started last week.
“Enclosed with the letter, was a diversion map showing Boroughbridge Road as the crucial alternative route for Copt Hewick road users to follow.
“Then I saw yellow signs put in place at both ends of the bridge on Boroughbridge Road that crosses the River Ure near Ripon Racecourse, saying that the bridge would be closed for a day on 19 January, so that inspection works could be carried out.
“I thought, does this mean that an extra one day diversion for diverted traffic would need to be put in place – and where would it be diverted to?”
The Yorkshire Water road closure sign on Dishforth Road (above) and the North Yorkshire County Council sign, which has now been removed
“What made this confusing situation even more ridiculous was a paragraph in the Yorkshire Water letter about the Dishforth Road closure, which read: ‘We understand that these works will be inconvenient, which is why we’ve liaised closely with North Yorkshire County Council highways department regarding every aspect of this essential scheme.'”
Read more:
The Stray Ferret raised Mr Stockburn’s concerns about the confusing and apparently contradictory advice on the Yorkshire Water and NYCC’s respective road closure signs.
Yorkshire Water said it would look into the matter — then diverted the Stray Ferret to NYCC.
Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, for North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“As Yorkshire Water is undertaking an eight week programme of works on Dishforth Road our contractors have agreed to reschedule the one-day bridge inspection. We will remove the advance warning sign as soon as possible. We apologise for the concerns this caused.”
When told the potential double diversion road closure chaos had been averted, Mr Stockburn, said:
“I have let as many people as possible in the village know the good news – including one gentleman in his 80s, who was wondering how he was going to get to Harrogate for his covid vaccination.”
Muddy footpath at Swinsty closed amid safety fears
Yorkshire Water has closed a temporary footpath at Swinsty reservoir that has drawn complaints about it being too muddy to use safely.
The footpath was introduced last month while maintenance works takes place on the usual route.
The closure will continue until the £6m works are completed in summer 2022.
It means there will no longer be a circular walking route at the popular beauty spot, which many people from the Harrogate district visit over the festive period.
The Stray Ferret reported how a pregnant woman had to be rescued by a passing family after she struggled to walk the diversion.
The company has employed marshals over the break to offer advice to visitors on safety issues, including parking if the car parks become full.
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said it expected Swinsty to be busy over the festive period and the diversion south of the reservoir, which went through farmer’s fields, had become too muddy.
Read more:
Yorkshire Water is encouraging walkers wanting a circular route to visit Fewston instead.
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:
“As a result of ongoing engineering work at Swinsty reservoir the circular route around the reservoir is no longer available.
“We have put up signs around the site to inform people of the closures. The circular walk around nearby Fewston reservoir is still available.
“Additionally, extra colleagues will be on hand at Swinsty over the festive period, which is expected to be busier than normal, monitoring car parking at the site and advising people of the closures.”
An updated map of the current walking routes at Swinsty is below:
A farm near Pateley Bridge has won a national award as recognition for its environmental efforts over the last four years.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) chose Humberstone Bank Farm as the rural and land winner for its social impact awards.
Jonathan Grayshon took on the tenancy of the farm from Yorkshire Water in 2016 and hoped to become a leading example of sustainable farming.
Since taking on the farm they have planted, with the help of volunteers, around 6,000 trees.
Read more:
- Thousands of new trees could be planted in Harrogate
- Stalemate continues over Harrogate Spring Water’s plans
- Pinewoods tree protester vows to lobby council offices every week
It is a large farm with 904 hectares of protected moors, grazing land, traditional hay meadows, a wildlife and sediment pond as well as Belted Galloway cattle for conservation grazing.
The judges said of Humberstone Bank Farm’s work at the awards:
“At a time of huge change for the rural sector, we felt that Humberstone Bank Farm was a real exemplar as to what could be achieved on many levels.
“The collaboration between landlord and tenant in terms of land management to manage aspects such as flood risk in the environment, is an innovative approach.
“We believe Humberstone Bank thoroughly deserves to be a winner.”
Of the award win, Lisa Harrowsmith, lead surveyor at Yorkshire Water said:
Pregnant woman rescued from Swinsty Reservoir diversion“As one of the region’s largest landowners, our land strategy is to ‘deliver exceptional land for Yorkshire, forever’ and Beyond Nature plays a key role in that.
“The RICS award is a recognition that we are heading in the right direction to deliver on our ambition and make a lasting difference for future generations.”
A pregnant woman had to be rescued by a passing family after she struggled to walk the Swinsty Reservoir diversion on Saturday.
Helen Riley, who is in the early stages of pregnancy, thought she was going for a quick stroll on her usual route around the reservoir.
She set out in the afternoon with some firm walking boots and soon found the diversion but did not realise how muddy it has become. She said:
“Some of the route is simply impossible to walk. If that family wasn’t there to help I don’t know what would have happened. I was in tears when I eventually got back.”
Yorkshire Water introduced the diversion last month. It is due to be in place for 18 months while £6 million safety works take place.
Read more:
- Swinsty Reservoir footpath to close for 18 months
- Swinsty Reservoir footpath diversion ‘too muddy to walk’
The company warned the route was uneven and “sometimes wet” and therefore unsuitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
However, many readers have expressed concerns about its suitability and Helen told the Stray Ferret the warnings do not fully reflect the reality:
“The rain, the cows and the number of walkers have made the route difficult to walk. My boots were covered in mud and it came up to my shins at some points.”
Yorkshire Water is diverting excess water from the reservoir to Lindley Wood reservoir to protect the embankment from flood erosion.
A spokesperson for the company told the Stray Ferret:
“We’re aware that the diversion footpath at Swinsty reservoir has become slightly difficult to navigate – with some areas very muddy.
“We are speaking to North Yorkshire County Council about ways they may be able to improve the public right of way.”
Yorkshire Water also encouraged anyone worried about the diversion route to visit other nearby reservoirs, such as Fewston and Thruscross.