Concerns after Tees Barrage fault causes water level drop

Boat owners watched their vessels become stuck as water levels dropped

Concerns have been raised after a "mechanical failure" at the Tees Barrage resulted in low water levels.

Boats were left sitting on the river bed as water drained away when the tide was out on Tuesday.

Fishermen who tried to save floundering pike and perch said they were concerned as it was the fishes' breeding season.

The Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT) said two of the four gates at the barrage failed and an investigation was under way to prevent it happening again.

Paul Adams from Castlegate Marine Club said: "The river is currently closed because it's spawning season and a low river level like this could have a serious effect on the breeding season.

"It's definitely very worrying and the first time it's ever happened. We just hope it's not down to poor maintenance."

Boats listing over due to the low water level in the River Tees

Mr Adams said he was alerted by a colleague who lives on the riverside close to the barrage who noticed the falling river levels at about 11:00 on Tuesday. Together they alerted boat owners in the area.

Chris Smith has been involved in the Tees Motorboat Club for 40 years and said there was "no warning whatsoever from the CRT, none at all".

The Canal and River Trust said the water level "fell approximately one metre below the lowest desired level"

Roy Sinclair who has a pontoon at his home in Yarm said it was left "hanging off its steel structure" when the water levels fell.

His 25ft (7.6m) leisure boat was not damaged but he described the situation as "frightening".

"The barrage was a huge investment and it's a huge asset to Teesside and it should be maintained with skilled staff and looked after 24 hours a day, so that situations like like don't arise again," he said.

The barrage opened in 1995 and as well as controlling the flow of the river and preventing flooding it is also used for leisure activities including water-skiing and white water rafting.

The fault resulted in canals like this one at Thornaby drained of water

In a statement, a CRT spokesperson said : "We apologise to anyone who has been inconvenienced by low water levels on the River Tees on Tuesday.

"This was caused by a mechanical failure at Tees Barrage, which our team has been working to fix. All the gates are now reinstated, and water levels will start to recover."

It added it believed no damage was caused to the waterway infrastructure or surrounding area and it would be talking to boat clubs and boat owners whose "boats may have been grounded after water levels dropped".

Rachel Dodd from Tees River Boaters said she was concerned there was no warning.

"The CRT did not have an emergency action plan in place to alert river users of an issue," she said.

"We're lucky it happened on a week day in daytime hours because it if had happened during the night or on a bank holiday it could have been catastrophic."

The low water levels exposed sand and silt from the riverbed