Campaigners opposed to plans by United Utilities to return Crummock Water to a natural state by removing a weir on the reservoir have set up a petition which has garnered more than 4,700 signatures in just a few days.
Locals said they were shocked at being given just a month to respond to what they claim is a “deeply flawed 100-page document planning proposal” from the water company which they claim will “devastate” the lake.
There have also been more than 100 objection letters sent to the Lake District National Park Authority – the body which will determine whether the plans get the go ahead.
United Utilities (UU) plans to return three north Cumbrian reservoirs back to their natural states and at Crummock Water the plan is to remove the weir, some of the equipment used for collecting water supplies and the supporting infrastructure.
Campaigners are concerned about the degree of water level drop – 4ft 6in or 1.35m – that the weir removal will cause which they say equates to 20 per cent of the volume of the lake. They say that the removal works will cause chaos and disruption to the area and on roads for around three years.
UU says that if the weir was kept, it would have to be replaced and upgraded by 2028. The water firm said it would involve significant construction that would impact water users, public access and the environment.
It added the weir would need to be monitored every 10 years and could require significant investment in the future.
UU added that someone would have to take responsibility and ownership of the weir and that it believed re-naturalising Crummock was the most viable solution to reduce cost and flood risk, while supporting the environment.
The firm said for its current responsibility and future liability of Crummock to be released, it must permanently reduce the volume of the water to comply with the Reservoirs Act 1975.
But Friends of Crummock said it was worried the lowering of the water would devastate the natural beauty and impact animal habitats, tourism and recreation. It is planning to host a protest at the lake on Sunday May 11.
The campaign group said it feared if the water level was lowered, it would expose a wide swathe of rocks, debris and mud, replacing the water’s popular gravel beaches.
However, UU said the naturalisation of the water would help restore natural water flow along becks and rivers in the surrounding catchment areas, restore natural salmon habitat and remove barriers to fish migrations. It would also introduce additional tree planting to the area.
While UU said the removal of the weir and lowered water level would help manage flood risks downstream, the Environment Agency raised concerns over flood risks based on the initial models provided to it.
It said in a letter to LDNPA that it was currently not satisfied the development would be safe without increasing flood risk elsewhere and objected to the plans.
The Open Spaces Society, the UK’s oldest conservation charity, has also objected to the plans and has expressed concern that the lowering of Crummock would detrimentally affect the level of Buttermere.
It also flagged concerns around what a lowered water level would look like at Crummock and said the newly-created lake shore margin could vary in width due to uneven ground and slopes beneath the water.
The charity added that while it supported the idea of re-naturalisation, it was concerned the removal of the weir would result in an artificial, much reduced lake.
As an alternative, Friends of Crummock is calling for the flow of water to Crummock to be naturalised without removing the entire weir.
The National Trust car park at Lanthwaite Wood, popular with wild swimmers, would also be restricted for four to five months.
Nicky Cockburn, of the Friends of Crummock, said: “This campaign has brought together people who normally might not even talk to each other.
“It affects future generations, it won’t be the same for them if the plans go ahead. It’s environmental vandalism.
“But we’re astounded at the petition and how quickly it has grown, everybody obviously feels the same.
“Crummock is therapy for so many of us, my dogs included. I am a swimmer and after surgery found the treatment took its toll on my mental and physical health. The benefits Crummock gives me daily really cannot be overstated.
“I have swum near otters, watched the dipper in its favourite spot, seen red squirrels, deer, osprey and yesterday heard the cuckoo and walked next to the bluebells. Just how much red listed wildlife, flora and fauna are going to be affected?”
Campaigner Diana Clarke, of High Lorton, said: “I’ve talked to lots of people when handing out leaflets and when they find out that Crummock has never ever been as low as United Utilities want to take it, and that they only want to avoid their responsibilities under the Reservoirs Act, people are disgusted.
“UU paints this harmonious picture of ‘restoring natural flows’, boosting the ‘biodiversity in the rivers’, planting trees and so on, but no mention of the huge biodiversity loss in Crummock Water itself that far outweighs gains elsewhere.
“Yes, they’ll probably plant some trees though that isn’t worked out yet, but what about the ancient trees and hedgerows they’ll cut down to get their machinery in?”
