Additional water releases support the River Tywi during dry weather

Additional water releases from the Llyn Brianne Reservoir are supporting flows, fish populations and river habitats in the River Tywi.

Natural Resources Wales requested additional water releases, which Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water begun  on Friday 31st July, due to low river flows resulting from drought conditions and sustained high temperatures.

On some rivers, such as the River Tywi, arrangements are in place which allow additional water to be released from reservoirs to support fish populations and the wider aquatic environment where this is assessed to be beneficial.

The release will use water held in the fisheries water bank, a reserve specifically set aside for supporting river conditions when needed. It will increase flows downstream of Nantgaredig abstraction point at Capel Dewi by about 50% for a 30-day period.

It is a relatively ‘low-level’ release compared with the larger releases sometimes used during spring and autumn to support fish migration, local anglers and conservation groups have been informed.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has confirmed there are no concerns regarding water storage levels at Llyn Brianne Reservoir. There remains plenty of water available to meet the demand from customers and obligations to the environment.

Dave Charlesworth, Freshwater Fisheries Lead Specialist at Natural Resources Wales, said:

"The current dry weather has resulted in prolonged low river flows, which can place additional pressure on fish and other wildlife that depend on healthy rivers.

"This release is a precautionary measure that will help improve conditions in the River Tywi, providing a modest but sustained increase in flow.  

“We have deliberately adopted a cautious approach.  While the release will help support the river and its fish populations now, it is also important that we retain sufficient water within the fisheries water bank should further environmental support be needed later in the year”.

"We will continue to monitor conditions closely and review the situation after 30 days to determine whether any further releases would be beneficial."

NRW continues to monitor river conditions closely and is encouraging everyone to use water wisely during the current dry weather to help reduce pressure on rivers and the wider environment.

Visit www.letssavewater.cymru for information and advice about water saving.  More advice is also available from Waterwise.