The River Kent on the morning after 6 December 2015 Throughout the night, Radio Cumbria broadcast the drama of an extreme weather event; relentless rain and strong winds after weeks of rain. Search helicopters were out there in the darkness, with the Mountain Rescue, working in winds of up to 80 mph. As dawn broke the worst of the weather was passing through but some rivers were yet to peak. Down in Kendal, railings beside the River Kent showed how high the river had been. Some of those living beside the river had seen their homes badly flooded. Some families had been evacuated.
Sunday saw respite in the storms and evidence of the havoc they had wreaked. The grounds around Abbot Hall were foul with mud and sludge. An information board draped with debris and telling of the ecology of the river showed there must have been a moment when minnows, bullhead and stickleback swam around their pictures. Not swam, swept along in the river’s turbulence as stone and gravels on its bed were churned up.
Many a time, I’ve read those information boards and pondered the aquatic wildlife in the River Kent here in town. Creatures we never see. Goosander, black headed gulls, dipper and grey wagtail are not uncommon sightings . Otter sometimes show. But how would you ever see the fish, the freshwater shrimp and the larvae of the river bed?
Here’s what happened. Around the Parish Church we could see the line of debris that marked the highest point of the flood which had receded by the time day dawned on Sunday. The riverside path was slimy and covered in mud, so was the grass beside the railings. A couple were delving in the mud with their fingers, with great care. They fished out minnow and stickleback, a glint of silver through a sticky coating of mud. And bullhead, alive. I could see it gasping for air before they released it to the river. Everywhere there were crayfish. Were these the white-clawed crayfish for which this Site of Special Scientific Interest is renowned? I couldn’t make them out in the filth beside the river. And in the hand those claws didn’t look white to me. Maybe. There is a predatory crayfish which threatens the native species. Which did we have? A few children stopped for a nature lesson. The couple on the rescue mission continued. They must have saved hundreds. How many more were lost to the flood?
At St George’s Catholic Church water had climbed the steps, then stopped. Cars drove by through flood water. Father Hugh was mindful of the help the community will need for months to come. He departs for Paris for the Climate Change Conference anon. Now what might be the link between this extreme weather event and Climate Change?
It is a blessing no lives were lost in this latest extreme weather event. But lives were lost, thousands of creatures , the life of the river. If wildlife counts. I suspect it doesn’t feature. If the couple on the mercy mission had not been intent on saving crayfish, bullhead and stickleback I doubt anyone else would have noticed these tiny creatures befouled in mud and gasping.
Here’s what happened. Around the Parish Church we could see the line of debris that marked the highest point of the flood which had receded by the time day dawned on Sunday. The riverside path was slimy and covered in mud, so was the grass beside the railings. A couple were delving in the mud with their fingers, with great care. They fished out minnow and stickleback, a glint of silver through a sticky coating of mud. And bullhead, alive. I could see it gasping for air before they released it to the river. Everywhere there were crayfish. Were these the white-clawed crayfish for which this Site of Special Scientific Interest is renowned? I couldn’t make them out in the filth beside the river. And in the hand those claws didn’t look white to me. Maybe. There is a predatory crayfish which threatens the native species. Which did we have? A few children stopped for a nature lesson. The couple on the rescue mission continued. They must have saved hundreds. How many more were lost to the flood?
At St George’s Catholic Church water had climbed the steps, then stopped. Cars drove by through flood water. Father Hugh was mindful of the help the community will need for months to come. He departs for Paris for the Climate Change Conference anon. Now what might be the link between this extreme weather event and Climate Change?
It is a blessing no lives were lost in this latest extreme weather event. But lives were lost, thousands of creatures , the life of the river. If wildlife counts. I suspect it doesn’t feature. If the couple on the mercy mission had not been intent on saving crayfish, bullhead and stickleback I doubt anyone else would have noticed these tiny creatures befouled in mud and gasping.
From the left: two images of crayfish, then a handful of bullhead and stickleback. Bottom left something larval. It tried to match pictures on the information board with species in the hand, but I'm not sure. This is the only time the life of the river has ever been discovered stranded on the riverside walk.
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