Fish to be rescued from drying ponds (From Sutton Guardian)

Fish to be rescued from drying Sutton ponds

11:30am Wednesday 4th April 2012 in Your Say By Matt Watts

Fish are to be moved from Sutton ponds to protect them from dying during a dry summer.

The measure at some drying ponds is being taken by Sutton Council as the south east prepares for a hosepipe ban, which comes into force on April 5, due to low water levels.

Dozens of fish in the Stock Pond in Beddington Park are particularly vulnerable, as the pond can dry out in a very short amount of time.

To make sure the fish survive, the council plans to move them to a fishery outside London where they can survive the dry summer happily.

Fish from Lakeside Pond have already been moved to nearby Grange Lake to ensure they do not get trapped as water levels drop further.

To ensure the pond's survival, which also supports amphibians, insects and birds, parks officers are planning to pump water from nearby ponds to make sure that the clay base does not crack, threatening its future.

Sutton and East Surrey Water, which supplies Sutton's population with water, is one of seven water companies in the south east to impose a hosepipe ban.

Currently the ban does not cover businesses or local councils, so Sutton Council is free to continue using hosepipes in public parks and gardens.

But it has sworn to restrict watering to the minimum needed to keep plants alive.

Fore information on the drought and how to save water visit environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/drought.