Where have the rivers gone?

“River beds are dry, wildlife is suffering, but no one has come close to mentioning a drought. What’s going on?”

Many of you will be painfully aware of the plight of groundwater-fed rivers in the southern half of England; after a particularly dry winter, they are notable by their absence. Their plight is highlighted in a recent article by Catherine Moncrieff, Freshwater Programme and Policy Manager, WWF-UK, available here. Read how and why the Blueprint for Water coalition are lobbying the Government and water companies.

On the WTT blog, Jess Picken has just provided us with a timely update from her PhD research — she is starting to reveal just how markedly the invertebrate (riverfly) community may be affected by even relatively short periods of low flow. Robust, experimental evidence like this is crucial for organisations like WWF and the Blueprint for Water team to include in their arguments. See the original outline of her PhD project, here.