Drought moves rowing club's 150th regatta upstream

There would be 500 metres of "deep, wide water" for the regatta, the club said

A rowing club has had to move its 150th anniversary regatta upstream because of low water levels in the River Wye.

Elizabeth Davies from Ross Rowing Club, who helps to organise Ross Regatta, said the river was "really shallow" near the club's base and "literally ankle deep", meaning "Plan B" would be rolled out for the competition on 24 and 25 August.

The competition, held each year in Ross-on-Wye over the August bank holiday weekend, was cancelled in 2024 because of low water levels.

This year, the Environment Agency has said some rivers have recorded their lowest levels since 1976.

Ms Davies said: "It's our 150th aniversary, having been founded in 1875, so we were adamant that we had to go ahead no matter what.

"But we're doing so safely, and we need to protect people, we need to protect the boats and we need to protect the environment and the river."

'It should all work'

She said the river had higher water levels further upstream, adding: "We've moved the entire course upstream to above the A40 bridge, where we'll be rowing on plenty of deep water - deep, wide water - to keep everybody safe and happy and we should have a good race day."

She said the race would be "a bit shorter" but added: "We've still got a good 500 metres to be racing down, side by side racing, so it should all work."

Oliver Hartland, from the Environment Agency, said: "Across the West Midlands area, we are now in drought and we have been for a month now.

"This has followed the driest spring that we've seen in 132 years. Some of the rivers in the Midlands area have recorded their lowest level since June 1976."

He said fisheries had mainly been impacted, and the agency was redirecting water to where it was needed, while maintaining the balance between requirements for drinking water and the needs of the environment.