4-Jul-2006
- Environment Agency officers are working against
the clock to save hundreds of fish in the River
Don from Rotherham to Doncaster following a collapse
in water oxygen levels. The river is an important
site for nature conservation as well as a public
fishery.
The low oxygen levels are a
result of a period of dry weather and low river
flow followed by an intense rainfall event on
Sunday night (July 2 2006) causing sewage from
storm overflows to enter the river in Sheffield
and Rotherham.
Environment Agency officers
were soon on site and confirmed many hundreds
of dead fish at Mexborough where oxygen levels
had dropped to around 20 per cent. Fish were clearly
seen gasping for oxygen at Mexborough Low lock,
situated below the confluence of the River Don
with the South Yorkshire Navigation. The problem
started near Rotherham and has moved down the
river through Sprotborough and is now in the Crimpsall
area of Doncaster.
With the entire fish population
at risk, the Environment Agency team is deploying
emergency equipment to pump large quantities of
hydrogen peroxide into the river to increase oxygen
levels. The operation to protect fish stocks will
prevent an even greater number of fish deaths.
Jane Parry, Area Environment
Management Team Leader said: “Abnormal weather
patterns of a lengthy period of dry weather and
then very intense rainfall have caused sewage
to enter the river and now we are doing everything
we can to save fish stocks.
“We are monitoring oxygen
levels at Crimpsall Sluice until we are satisfied
that the river is recovering. The river in this
location is a very valuable conservation area
and provides a wonderful recreational resource
for anglers. We are doing all we can to preserve
it.”
Joe Giacomelli
