Fish rescue mission carried out as River Teme runs dry

The Environment Agency has intervened in parts of the river in south Shropshire after conditions became unsuitable for fish due to the dry weather.

The River Teme, which rises near Newtown and runs along the Powys-Shropshire border near Knighton, faces falling water levels that endanger aquatic life.

The Environment Agency said: "On the River Teme in south Shropshire, fish rescue operations have been carried out where conditions have become unsuitable for fish to survive.

The River Teme is increasingly dry. (Image: Environment Agency)

"Members of the public can report fish in distress to the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60."

Elsewhere, efforts are underway to protect water supplies and maintain river levels across the Midlands, including by releasing hundreds of millions of litres of water stored in sandstone below north Shropshire.

The River Severn, one of the UK’s most important rivers, supplies drinking water to around six million people and supports internationally important habitats.

Part of the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme. (Image: Environment Agency)

It can also be topped up by releases of water from two reservoirs in Wales, the Environment Agency said.

To stabilise water levels, the Environment Agency is currently releasing around 200 million litres of water per day from the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme into the River Severn—equivalent to 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

At full capacity, the scheme can release up to 240 million litres daily using a 53km network of underground pipelines.

Matthew Lawrence, West Midlands manager for the Environment Agency, said: "The River Severn may look like it has healthy summer flows, but this is all down to the work we are doing behind the scene.

"We are working hard to maintain river levels for people and wildlife.

"We will continue to monitor the conditions closely and will not hesitate to use our regulatory powers to mitigate the impacts of dry weather."