The Environment Agency has announced that much of England is almost certain to face water restrictions later in the year as large part of the South and East have officially entered drought status after two unusually dry years with below average rainfall.

In a report released today, the environment agency stated “We are anticipating a severe drought in spring and summer 2012.” In East Anglia, the last six months have been the driest since records began in 1921.

Although rainfall in December and at the beginning of March served to recharge some parched aquifers and rivers, there has not been enough precipitation to reverse the impact of what have been two extremely dry years for much of England. The agency said that, as the window in which recharge can take place most efficiently is effectively closing, the remedial affects of rainfall will be minimal for the rest of the year.

In its report, Drought Prospects for Spring and Summer 2012, the EA said, “Significant further groundwater recharge is now unlikely. As plants start to grow and it becomes warmer, soils will dry out further.” In scenarios modelled by the Environment Agency and water companies, even above average rainfall will be unable to buck significant drought impacts this spring and summer.

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Effects of the dry weather, which reached a peak in late spring last year, have resulted in drying of streams, more widespread low river flows and a number of drought impacts on the environment, including stranding fish as stretches of rive dry up. Some farmers have been unable to fill their winter storage reservoirs, though the EA said it continues to work with farmers to find solutions and ensure there is as little impact on food production as possible.

Drought permits have been granted to three water companies operating in affected regions.

Impacts on farming

In Southern and Eastern England and parts of the West Midlands, prolonged dry weather over autumn and winter has resulted in restrictions on summer and winter abstraction, soil compaction and bare ground. In some places grass growth has been limited meaning farmers have been forced to bring livestock indoors and use winter stores and supplementary feed. This situation led to low forage stocks last winter and has resulted in price increases for grass seeds, which have risen £20 per acre since last year.

There have also been effects on abstraction licenses, which have been withdrawn in areas of Central, East and South East England. The agency said it is working with the NFU to keep farmers up to date with their status’ based on rainfall and changes in river flows in dry regions and assured the majority of winter storage reservoirs would be full before spring. The EA said that the majority of licenses affected are for spray irrigation and that the situation remains “Very unusual for the time of year.”

The agency has offered advice for farmers who may be affected by dry weather and reduced availability of water this spring, “We recognise the problems farmers face this spring and summer where they have not been able to fill their reservoirs. To help them we have introduced a number of changes they can consider to help fill their reservoirs. These are to reduce the cost of taking high flows in summer, increasing their pump rates to fill reservoirs faster, relaxing certain hands off flow conditions in abstraction licences and extending the abstraction season.”

Nevertheless, spray irrigation prospects currently look unfavourable for South and Central regions and East Anglia in particular. This is likely to have significant impacts on food production, particularly this years’ fruit, vegetable, potato and salad crops, as water restrictions are likely to affect farmers across the South of England.

There are also fears that continued dry weather will impact on drinking water supplies for livestock, particularly housed pigs and poultry, although the EA and NFU are working on emergency plans to address this, following recommendations made by the union.

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Met Office forecast not bright

The weather over the spring and summer will have an effect on the severity of the drought. Although predictions remain vague at this stage, initial indications from the Met Office are not promising. Whilst there needs to be a period of sustained rainfall for the rest of March and April if a full winter-time recovery is expected in England, the Met Office has warned that the likelihood of receiving the necessary amounts of rain is “Very low.”

The forecast for the rest of the month in the UK is for drier-than-usual conditions in affected regions. In response to this the Environment Agency recommended “Preparations need to be made for the worst case scenario.”

Commenting on the weather outlook, Terry Marsh, from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said, “Rainfall in early March was very welcome but in the absence of truly exceptional rainfall, in excess of 150 per cent of average, over the next 6-8 weeks (by which time evaporation demands will be rising rapidly) no early termination to the drought can be expected.”

The drought will have a marked effect on households in the South. Defra secretary Caroline Spelman has issued calls for Water companies to address wastage through leaks and for domestic users to look into conserving water. This morning, seven water companies announced they would be introducing hosepipe bans.

The EA recommended farmers investigate ways to share water resources by setting up water abstractor groups and taking steps now to improve water efficiency, topping up water to ensure enough is available for the summer months and, if necessary, bear in mind its fast-track process whereby farmers can apply to take additional water when river flows are high.

The agency assured that effects on the environment and wildlife of its measures were given “careful consideration” when devising its drought impact strategy.  

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