Well in spite of some such as WSA and Ross AC advising no fishing on their beats under the current conditions it seems not everyone takes that point of view.

Bigswier and Wyesham seem to be carrying on as usual with an 11lb fish reported from Wyesham yesterday where a little further downstream water temp was 23degrees   Today its 21.5,

No name of angler who caught yesterdays fish - hope he's proud of himself.   nb.  Don/t bother texting me Mr Timmis!!

Seemed to be a little extra water at Hay on Wye this morning,  At the very least its stops the poor canoeists scrapping the bottom out of their boats on the gravel.   The way things are with the huge numbers of canoeists daytime fishing in some areas would be a complete waste of time anyway.

Dry weather in the offing so where do we go from here.   WUF and NRW really need to get a grip on things.  The whole situation is completely absurd.

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The below was received after I did  my blog.    Some sense at last but the Noddies won't be happy.

Message sent on behalf of Grace Wight: Environment Agency – Area Environment Manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire

 

Good Afternoon

 

On 12 July 2022 I wrote to you to inform you about the change in status to the early warning system the Environment Agency had developed to monitor water temperatures and algal blooms on the River Wye. At that time, the system was classified as ‘amber’, and we advised river users to cease activities, such as fishing for salmon and trout.

 

Further to my email on 12 July and the most recent quarterly report I shared on Tuesday, I wanted to update you with the current situation on the River Wye. Please note that the current status remains at ‘amber’.

 

Update

• Between July and August, two separate periods of algal blooms have been detected by our data loggers and algae surveys within the catchment.
• The first bloom occurred between the 16 and 22 July during the recent heatwave, with the second being ongoing, commencing 27 July.
• High water temperatures exceeding 20°C have coincided with increased chlorophyll levels (which we use to detect algal blooms) and are suspected to be the main cause of algal blooms.
• There is currently no evidence of low dissolved oxygen levels for prolonged periods, which can be harmful to aquatic life occurring alongside an algal bloom. High daytime dissolved oxygen levels are occurring due to increased photosynthesis associated with the blooms.
• The algal blooms have been dominated by two non-toxic, free-floating green algae groups (Dictyosphaerium and Chlamydomonas).
• No potentially toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) have been detected in significant volumes in the Wye to date.
• High water temperatures are currently the main threat to fish welfare in the Wye catchment.

 

Given the information above, please continue to follow our guidance attached. This is part of our role of monitoring and analysing water quality. Below is a summary of the current situation and how you can help.

 

Current situation

·         The Environment Agency have currently evaluated the early warning system at ‘amber’ as the water temperature has exceeded 20ºC.

·         High temperatures can put fish at risk and trigger algal blooms.

·         The Environment Agency advise cessation of salmon and trout fishing.

·         Playing Atlantic salmon to exhaustion can cause mortality at high temperatures. A maximum water temperature of 20ºC is important for recovery and survival of salmon.

·         To protect the River Wye’s important fish populations, please stop fishing for salmon and trout until we advise that temperatures have dropped to ensure effective catch and release. 

·         Take care over other fish species’ welfare, particularly for more sensitive species, including grayling, pike and barbel.

·         Unhook fish in the water if possible and only take them out of the water for unhooking if absolutely necessary.  

·         Take photos of fish in the water - keeping a fish in the air, even for a few seconds, can greatly reduce its chances of surviving after capture and going on to spawn successfully. 

• We have increased our front-line surveillance and engagement to share our advice and look out for impacts.

 

How you can help

·         If you see dead fish, fish in distress or gasping at the water surface, please contact the Environment Agency 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or email ics@environment-agency.gov.uk to report. 

·         Please also use this incident hotline number if you also suspect pollution or witness impacts due to an algal bloom, so that we can investigate, and issue advice and guidance where necessary. 

·         If you receive a change in the alert level, please act accordingly. The current status remains at ‘amber’.

·         If you are receiving this message, you are already subscribed to the early warning system alerts and can unsubscribe by contacting engagement_westmids@environment-agency.gov.uk.

·         You can encourage others to sign up to the alert messages by contacting engagement_westmids@environment-agency.gov.uk also. 

 

I hope you find this information useful and we welcome your feedback on this message as well as on our other activities within the Wye catchment.

 

With best wishes 

Grace  

 

Grace Wight

Area Environment Manager | Herefordshire and Worcestershire 

Environment Agency | West Midlands 

 

For further information please contact the Customers & Engagement Team:

Tel: 02030 251583 | Email: engagement_westmids@environment-agency.gov.uk