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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Jack Thurlow

'Extreme temperatures' leads to destruction of wildlife at Nottingham canal

Extreme temperatures experienced across Nottingham last week has led to the destruction of wildlife at a Nottingham canal. A number of birds and fish were pictured lying lifeless in the Lady Bay section of Grantham Canal.

Pictures from the canal show the dried up part of the land as well as numerous dead birds. A statement from Canal & River Trust stated that the extreme temperatures coupled with "prolonged dry weather" has caused low water levels at Lady Bay.

The Nottingham end of the canal has been known to suffer with low water levels during this time of the year as the stretch from Cotgrave to Lady Bay has only one significant source of water supply. Contractors will be on site this week to remove the dead carcasses.

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A spokesperson for Canal & River Trust said: "The extreme temperatures we saw last week, on top of the prolonged dry weather we’re experiencing, has caused the low water levels at Lady Bay. Water supply on the Nottingham end of the canal is particularly challenging at the best of times, with the stretch from Cotgrave to Lady Bay only having one significant source of water supply – the Cotgrave feeder which enters the canal near Skinners Lock Cottage.

"This means that the water levels in the canal are very much affected by rainfall, and do tend to drop during the summer, particularly in the downstream end at Lady Bay. These water supply issues have been compounded by low, flat culverted bridges which have been built across the canal since it was closed to boat traffic in 1929.

"Our expert fisheries team have been monitoring the situation carefully and if they see fish in distress will arrange for them to be moved elsewhere on the canal – as we’ve done several times at Lady Bay in the past few years. Sadly there have been some fish deaths, which is always upsetting to see, and we have contractors out on site this week to remove the carcasses."

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