With the prolonged period of dry and hot weather this summer, water supplies across Scilly are running low. South West Water are now encouraging water-saving measures across the islands, to help visitors and residents make savings that could benefit everyone. We are deeply concerned about the impact that the drought is having on local farmers and farmland, as well as wilder landscapes like heathland and our wetlands. You may have seen that Porthloo duck pond, for example, is almost completely dry. This is causing us a lot of worry; worries we know are shared by many within the community. There are also increased risks from wildfires - they can spread very quickly through heathland, grassland and farmland, endangering lives, property and businesses, whilst devastating our local wildlife. 

Extreme weather events and sea level rise are threatening our fresh aquifers and are critical climate change threats. We will feel this first in Scilly, relative to the rest of the UK. Desalination plants, whilst invaluable, use extra energy, ultimately making the climate crisis even worse. Ultimately, we’ve all got to do what we can to limit our carbon footprint, from individuals up to big businesses, and we would love to talk to local businesses on Scilly about reducing your own water consumption and carbon footprint. Contact us if you would like to hear more.

Here are some dos and don'ts with how to help this summer...

Q1) Is there anything you can do to 'top-up' the ponds, especially Porthloo?

Porthloo, like all the wetlands on Scilly, is largely filled by groundwater. These areas are drying out because of a low water level, caused by a lack of rain, with Porthloo the hardest hit so far. We need rain to recharge our aquifers and fill the ponds from the bottom up. We have worked with the fire service and South West Water to add a small amount of water to Porthloo to see if we could alleviate the situation, however, it very quickly soaked away. With water-saving measures in place across the islands, we don't think it would be sensible to do this again, as it could have knock-on effects elsewhere for water supply.

Adding sea water to the pond would be catastrophic for the local wildlife, potentially destroying the ecosystem and the wildlife that lives there. We are grateful to the local residents who are assisting the feral duck population in that area with small buckets of fresh drinking water; those that are able to fly away will move to wetter areas. Even ducklings can walk a long way with their mother, so we are hopeful that they won't come to any harm. Ducks cannot drink salt water (they just enjoying swimming on it!) so please do not be tempted to top up the area with seawater.

Our team launched an impromptu eel rescue last week, too, when several European eels became trapped in the muddy pond. We relocated 25 of these to Porth Hellick Pool, where the water levels are higher. We look very carefully at how we manage the area best for wildlife, including reedbed management, but at present all we can do is save as much water as possible and hope for rain! Wetlands are complex ecosystems, so removing reeds to create lakes or bigger ponds isn't a fix-all solution.

Q2) How can I save water?

South West Water have issued some excellent advice on saving water, for both the community and for visitors. This includes not filling baths up and taking quicker showers, turning the tap off whilst brushing your teeth and not washing cars. Please remember that brown lawns will recover, but if you feel the urge to water your garden, you can do so using recycled bath or shower water. Should stricter measures come into force over the next few weeks, please abide by them. If you have the space, installing a water butt to collect rain water is also an excellent option.

Q3) How can I help our local wildlife?

From the baby birds in the gardens to insects and amphibians to bats and hedgehogs, all local land wildlife will be struggling right now. Very few birds have evolved to be able to drink seawater, so they are feeling the effects of the drought even more than us. Putting a shallow dish of fresh water out for the birds will help; pop some pebbles in it so that insects can climb out and birds have somewhere to perch, and top it up a couple of times a day. You can accompany this with meaty dog food for hedgehogs if you'd like, especially at night.

Q4) How can we minimise risk of wildfires?

We’re very concerned about fire across Scilly, and the risk just now is enormous. A lot of our vegetation management, such as bracken and gorse control, scrub clearance and grazing around the coastal heaths and grasslands, is vital in reducing the fuel load around the year. Our footpath clearance also helps provide mini firebreaks. We’re also giving consideration right now as to anything else we can do in the short term to limit the vulnerability of property or infrastructure to fires, as it looks like this drought could be quite sustained. 

Please don't be tempted to light any open flames (e.g. barbeques, campfires, matches, etc.) on any area of wild or farmland at the moment. If you see anything worrying, like irresponsible behaviour, please give us a call, or phone the fire service if you have any cause for concern. We wouldn't recommend any sort of barbeque or campfire, even on the beaches at present.