Dry River Derwent devastating for wildlife, conservationists warn

The River Derwent in the Lake District's Borrowdale Valley has seen water levels drop drastically after weeks of hot weather.

Experts said fish and insects would be badly affected with a "knock-on effect" for other species.

West Cumbria Rivers Trust described it as a "shocking sight".

Ruth Mackay, the organisation's fisheries project officer, said it was "pretty worrying" some sections were drying up more frequently following longer periods with very little rainfall.

"It can be pretty devastating," she said, adding: "Obviously where there isn't any water there will be very little life.

"Without water, insects and fish can't survive and that will have a knock-on effect to the rest of the river eco-system - to the otters and the birds that feed on the fish and the insects too."

On Tuesday, nearby Bridgefoot recorded one of the highest temperatures in England, at 30.1C.

Ms Mackay said climate change was leading to greater extremes in weather with "lots of floods but also lots of long periods of dry weather".

She told BBC Radio Cumbria environments needed to become more resilient in order to withstand the impact of changes and said the charity was working to restore some rivers to their natural state.

"A lot of our rivers in the county have been modified by man over hundreds and hundreds of years and therefore they are more susceptible to things like drought and flooding," she said.

"We are trying to do things like river restoration and slowing the flow of water and keeping it within the catchment for longer," Ms Mackay added.

The Lake District is said to be one of the wettest places in the UK receiving on average more than 13ft (4m) of rainfall a year according to the Met Office.

Source: BBC News