River Severn Drought Order Application

• Capping the maximum release from Llyn Clywedog reservoir at 300 megalitres per day (Ml/d).
   
• Reducing the prescribed flow at Bewdley from a single daily mean of 727 Ml/d and 850 Ml/d averaged over 5 days to a target of 730 Ml/d averaged over 5 days.
   
• Reducing the prescribed flow at Bewdley below the target flow of 730 Ml/d averaged over 5 days if River Severn Regulation releases can no longer achieve it.
   
• Imposing a 5% reduction on water company licensed abstractions on the River Severn.
   
• Imposing a 300 Ml/d abstraction cap on the Gloucester Docks abstraction for the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal in England, when flows at Deerhurst or Haw Bridge gauge are below 1,200 Ml/d.
   
• Capping releases from Llyn Clywedog reservoir to 1.5% of remaining storage if storage in Llyn Clywedog reservoir falls below the ‘emergency storage’ trigger.

The anticipated effect of the drought order if granted, will lower flows and water levels along the River Severn to conserve water in Llyn Clywedog reservoir. Conserving water will allow releases to continue for longer to protect migratory fish and ecology during the worst of the drought and ensure the reservoir can refill more quickly to provide better protection in subsequent dry years. Without the drought order, releases from Llyn Clywedog reservoir are at risk of stopping and sections of the upper Severn could be at risk of drying out, resulting in the whole river experiencing record minimum flows and environmental stress.

The impacts from operating the River Severn Drought Order are predicted to be temporary and once normal rainfall returns, the environment should improve naturally and recover within one to three years. This is consistent with the expected natural drought recovery period.