Town's fears that a river no longer runs through it (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Town's fears that a river no longer runs through it

A FEW puddles is all that's left of the river Churn in some parts of Cirencester.

The river has suffered the effects of the recent dry weather spell. Part of the problem may have been caused when Thames Water had to get an emergency abstraction licence for the Baunton borehole after having treatment problems at another site.

William Cooper of Bowling Green Lane, Cirencester, claims this extraction of water has made the situation worse.

He said: "My house backs onto the river and this is by far the driest year I have known - I have lived here for nine years.

"All the locals are saying it as well, it is the first time they cannot take water out for their allotments without great difficulty.

"The Mallard ducks have all but disappeared, I think they must all be sitting on the Abbey lake because it's the only water left.

"The heron has also stopped coming now so I think the fish have all gone. "One feels that the extraction of water at a critical moment has made it even worse."

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "The River Churn has dried up a number of years including 1976, possibly 1990 and definitely 1995 and 1996.

"It dries naturally in places during dry summers. "This might be exacerbated by the process of water abstraction by Thames Water.

"Negotiations with Thames Water have resulted in the company agreeing to implement reductions to their abstractions from 2005.

"Abstractions will be reduced at Latton, and ceased in summer at Meysey Hampton and Baunton."

Thames Water spokesman Andrew Boyd said: "It is true we were granted an emergency abstraction licence which was in place for about a week.

"The amount of water that was taken, in our view, would have had a very small effect on the river."

The Environment Agency spokesman added: "Rivers which dry naturally will recover reasonably quickly once flows return - some plants and animal species have evolved life strategies to cope with periodic drying.

"Fish - in this country at least - do not cope well with rivers drying and are probably the most notable casualties of a drying river when they are trapped in pools."

The River Churn through Cirencester may benefit from a study planned by the Environment Agency.

This will look at the management of the river in relation to Abbey Lake in an effort to reduce the amount of silt entering the lake.

This may result in water levels within the river being safeguarded for longer.