Seems some people are still fishing in places and tickets being sold.
However Hereford and district and Ross Anglers have I understand suspended fishing for the time being.

Cinditions look likely to remain a threat to fish survival and a blessing in some ways that there is not a big stock of fish in either river..

Some information for Usk anglers but will it make a difference.  How much water I wonder will actually reach the extraction point.

As part of the Usk & Wye Abstraction Group, I've just received an email from Richard Allen, Welsh Water which says:

'We will shortly be starting to make a regulation release from Usk reservoir that will remain in place for several weeks. This release will allow us to abstract water from the Usk river via our Prioress Mill pumping station. The additional volume of water to be released will be approximately 80 Ml/d.'

I've subsequently been told that the release has started and there will be a 48-hour time lag before they start abstracting at Prioress Mill, Usk at a rate to match the water released from Usk reservoir. As the abstraction at Prioress will be spread over 20-22 hours per day, some fluctuation will occur from Usk downstream. 

Best wishes,

Guy Mawle

Has anything changed do you think???

The need for change

The long term trend in water demand for river water has been upwards, predominantly for drinking and agricultural purposes. Following the introduction of the EU’s Habitats Directive in 1994, it was found that both rivers suffered from excessive abstraction.

Too much water being taken is bad news for ecology, especially for those rivers with migratory fish such as Wye and Usk. Salmon, for instance, are lost for good if they are held up at the estuary, unwilling to migrate into a river during low flows. Research by David Solomon for the Environment Agency showed that if salmon were held back for over 15 days, up to 3% perished each day.

To avoid significant ecological damage, a robust policy regarding how and when water is abstracted needed to be instigated and then enforced.

A solution that benefits all

Work by the Usk and Wye Abstraction Group (UWAG) found that very nearly all the demand for water could be met from the existing river flows and network of reservoirs without breaching the tough rules imposed by the Habitats Directive. 

A programme that makes better use of the existing reservoirs both catchments is now in force.

The changes will enable the water companies and CRT to continue with their responsibilities. The changes will also dramatically help in getting all migratory fish up river (especially salmon). Meanwhile, the more stable flows will help resident trout, grayling and coarse fish.