The Environment Agency of the UK, after looking at climate models that predict a shocking 50-80% drop in river flows from the hard-rock west of England and Wales by 2050, are calling for drastic measures to maintain flows and species habitats. To wit (from the Telegraph):
River flows across the country will be cut in half, while the west of the
country could lose up to 80 per cent of their river water.
The agency is to urge water companies to build new treatment plants to purify
fresh water from the sea and to clean effluent waste water to ensure there
are reliable sources of drinking water in the future.
Natural habitats will also be threatened by the lack of water and in some
cases vulnerable species will need to be moved in ambitious relocation
programmes to ensure their survival.
The one possible bit of good news I can see here is the idea of the Agency specifically setting out to create wetlands in the upper reaches, both to absorb flooding during storm events (expected to be heavier, due to the increased intensity of the hydrological cycle) and to maintain flows during dry times. Also interesting is the idea of relocating endangered species…though surely that won't be easy.
The strategy also proposes creating large areas of upland wetlands, which have
in the past been drained for farming and industry, to help slow the progress
of rain run-off and act as natural storage areas that will also provide
valuable habitats.
While summers will be far drier than present, short extreme rainfall events
will become more common and river flows during the winter months will
increase, raising the risk of flooding unless run-off can be slowed down by
wetlands and peat bogs.
Story doesn't discuss how in the world one might relocate a salmon run…perhaps no one knows.
Kit Stolz 