Concerns about River Granta rare chalk stream drying up

The pipe crossing the river bed would normally be covered by water but it is now exposed

Residents of a village in Cambridgeshire are concerned their river may soon dry up.

The River Granta flows through Linton and the Pocket Park Nature Reserve at the edge of the village.

The rare chalk stream, a tributary of the River Cam, has had low levels of water in the past weeks.

Local volunteer group Linton Friends of the River Granta (Frog) say levels are already as low as they were at the end of last summer.

This chalk stream is one of about only 200 in the world, most of which are in the south-east of England, according to the chair of Frog, Helen Brookes.

It is fed by springs that originate from underwater aquifers and is home to many species of fish and insects.

The chair of Linton FROG, Helen Brookes, said: "The river level has dropped significantly in the last few weeks"

The East of England was officially declared to be in drought 10 months ago, contributing to the current low water levels.

A pipe that crosses the chalk stream would normally be covered by water but it now has just a trickle flowing underneath it.

• Rare chalk stream to be rerouted through park

• Nearly half of chalk stream has run dry

• Stream 'close to being dead' due to lack of water

Ms Brookes said this "shows the river level has dropped significantly in the last few weeks".

Recent thunderstorms and flooding are unlikely to help replenish the river.

"It certainly won't help in the longer term. We need more frequent rainfall over the year and not just these flash floods that come after the heatwave," she explained.

The rare chalk stream is home to several species of fish and insects

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "While wet weather in March, April and early May helped rivers across the region, late May and June have been much drier.

"The Environment Agency and partners are carefully monitoring the current situation and will continue to take appropriate action to protect the environment where needed."

Linton Frog organises litter-picking events to clean up the banks and free the river bed of debris, in the hope to protect and preserve it.

Ms Brookes said: "We all need to do our bit to reduce the consumption of water, to make the most of the water that we do use and to not pollute it.

"It's been here for thousands of years; it was here before any of us were here.

"It would be lovely to know, or to hope, that it will continue to flow through the village as it has done.

"It's a beautiful, natural, rare chalk stream and we're lucky to have it."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail] or get in touch via WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830