Reservoir level fall exposes bridge for first time

Part of Broomhead Bridge has been revealed for the first time since the reservoir near Sheffield was built

Reservoir levels in Yorkshire have dropped further following the hottest spring and summer on record - exposing a bridge for the first time in a century.

Nearly three months after a drought was declared in the region, water storage levels sit at 32.6%, well below the 72.7% average for the time of year.

David Kaye, director of water for Yorkshire Water, said: "While the rain, which was heavy in some areas but short-lived, has been welcome, the majority has been taken up by the extremely dry ground."

It is the first time in recorded history that two consecutive seasons have broken heat records, according to Sheffield's Weston Park weather station.

Yorkshire Water was granted permission to extract more water from the Wharfe and Ouse rivers as a result, in the hope of reducing the burden on reservoirs.

The company said this was an "essential step" towards protecting water supplies and the environment amid the drought, which was declared on 12 June.

Prof Beck Malby, from the Ilkley Clean River Group, had expressed concern ahead of the decision, saying the Wharfe had already been struggling.

"There is really very little water left for wildlife, for the natural habitats to survive here," she said.

"I've never seen the river so low and I've lived here 30 years."

At Broomhead Reservoir, near Sheffield, a stone arch has been uncovered as a result of dropping water levels.

It is thought to be part of Broomhead Bridge, also known as Cooper Carr Bridge, which spanned Ewden Beck close to a corn mill.

Both the mill and bridge were flooded when the reservoir was built in the 1920s and is it thought to be the first time the bridge has been visible since.

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