Crayfish Kill on Cumbria’s Farleton Beck

Crayfish Kill on Cumbria’s Farleton Beck

THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY responded to an urgent call from a local farmer last Tuesday (18 July) after a report that the beck, near Nook, South Cumbria had run dry.

On arriving at the scene Environment Agency officers found that over 2 kilometres of Farleton Beck was totally dry and white-clawed crayfish and fish were dead and dying. Officers estimated that the beck had been dry for some time, probably overnight. The lack of water during this period coupled with last week’s hot summer weather had led to the massive losses.

Environment Agency Fisheries & Biodiversity Officer Matt Brazier said: “It was a terrible sight. The beck looked more like a gravel track, littered with thousands of dead and distressed crayfish.. The white-clawed crayfish is a nationally endangered species and the population in Farleton Beck was particularly good, so this is a significant loss.

“It is likely that greater loss of native fish species such as brown trout was only avoided because the water receded slowly and being more mobile they were able to retreat downstream.”

As officers were investigating the cause of the water loss, flows returned to the beck. Further investigation with the help of British Waterways indicated that the incident had resulted from someone deliberately blocking off a weir upstream near Nook.

The weir, owned by British Waterways, provides water from Farleton Beck to top up the nearby Lancaster Canal. Data from an electronic flow monitoring system indicated that the main weir in Farleton Beck had been blocked on Monday afternoon, diverting all the water from the beck into the Lancaster Canal leaving the beck dry for up to 15 hours. The blockage was only discovered and removed the next morning.

The investigation revealed that a series of attempts to block the weir had occurred over the last week. Despite increased checks the culprits have not yet been found and incidents continue to occur.

Investigating Officer Matt Brazier said: “We think it’s likely that the weir is being blocked by local children for fun and is not being done maliciously. Those involved may well not realise the impact they are causing. The Environment Agency and British Waterways are keen to highlight the dangers to children and teenagers playing on or near a weir, as well as the damage they can cause to local wildlife. We want to urge those involved to stop tampering with the weir.”

“Some crayfish had managed to seek shelter in a few remaining pools and it is hoped that the population will recover, although this is likely to take years.”

Cath Ferguson, Environment and Heritage Manager, British Waterways added:”We want everyone to have a delightful summer alongside our waterways whatever they’re up to, but swimming in waterways is extremely dangerous. Contact with stagnant water can pose health risks from waterborne diseases such as Weil’s Disease (leptospirosis). Although rare, Weil’s Disease can be fatal if it remains un-detected. We want to encourage people to visit our waterways, but to do so safely.”

If you have any information regarding this incident please contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.