Holmfirth: Wildlife warning over Holme Styes reservoir water level

A drought order could mean the flow of water leaving Holme Styes reservoir is slowed down

Plants and animals at a West Yorkshire reservoir may die if a drought order is not imposed there, the Environment Agency (EA) has warned.

The agency said it had applied for an order to help stop Holme Styes reservoir, near Holmfirth, running dry after hot weather and low rainfall.

A drought order means the EA could ask Yorkshire Water to slow the flow of water leaving the reservoir.

It would not have an impact on the public water supply, the EA said.

Drought orders are issued by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs when there is a serious threat to plants or animals that rely on a body of water.

The EA said the Holme Styes site was home to fish, including trout and a variety of invertebrates.

'Animals would die'

Victoria Slingsby, environment planning and engagement manager for the EA, said: "The drought order request we have submitted for the Holme Styes reservoir demonstrates one way we can act to protect wildlife in our region.

"Without it, the reservoir could run dry and plants and animals that rely on it would die.

"We're looking at the impacts of dry weather across the region to make sure we can act to preserve water for wildlife and people as we experience extreme weather conditions."

The last time a drought was declared in Yorkshire was in autumn 2018.

The EA said Holme Styes was an historic mill reservoir and not part of the public water supply infrastructure.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "We're working with the Environment Agency on their application for a drought order to change the flows on Holme Styes reservoir.

"This reservoir is a compensation reservoir, which means it is not used for supplying water to customers, but is instead used to provide flows downstream into the local watercourse."