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Stourport Basin has 80 tonnes of duckweed removed
Stourport Basin has 80 tonnes of duckweed removed

BBC News

time6 days ago

  • General
  • BBC News

Stourport Basin has 80 tonnes of duckweed removed

Five grab lorries were needed to remove a "carpet" of 80 tonnes of duckweed from a Basin in Worcester was turned fluorescent green by the tiny, free-floating aquatic plant, and earlier in July it was reported a dog had drowned in the canal after it went into the Hughes from the Canal and Rivers Trust said Stourport Basin had one of the worst incidents of duckweed growth ever seen in the West Midlands, with the entire canal and nearby locations experiencing rapid widespread growth."We've been spending a lot of money and time trying to deal with this - it was a five day job which cost us £12,500," he said. "Duckweed is very difficult to manually remove, because it's very small plants, but it can get quite heavy as well."Because they multiply and grow so quickly, they almost form these mats over the surface and often it can be quite deceptive, especially for people who come into an area they are not familiar with."You won't see any open water so it presents a health and safety risk," he added. The task to remove the plant involved using a weed harvester boat, developed to specifically remove water plants. "We then remove it into a storage called a hopper before we take it away to be disposed of."We had five grab lorries worth which amounted to 80 tonnes of duckweed."Mr Hughes said as the region experiences hotter and drier weather, it creates the perfect environment for the aquatic plant to grow quickly and invasively."Over the last five years, we've been having to spend 10s of 1000s of pounds just in the West Midlands region alone."The annual costs of just managing aquatic weed can come close to the million pound mark," he said. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Dog died in Worcestershire canal filled with duckweed, man claims
Dog died in Worcestershire canal filled with duckweed, man claims

BBC News

time11-07-2025

  • General
  • BBC News

Dog died in Worcestershire canal filled with duckweed, man claims

At least one dog has died in a Worcestershire canal after it turned fluorescent green, a business owner has claimed. Paul Jefferys, owner of Oliver's Coffee Bar, said his neighbour's dog perished in the Stourport Basin last canal went viral after it changed colour due to the amount of duck weed growing in the water - which Mr Jefferys said has caused multiple dogs to nearly drown.A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said: "We've put signs up in Stourport warning people to stay away from the edge, and we're asking everyone to keep their dogs under close control as stories about dogs falling in are so heartbreaking." They added: "Our volunteers and the local team have been working hard to remove the weed in the basin, scooping up millions of pieces of the floating weed from the water's surface but the hot weather is providing perfect growing conditions. "In addition, our weed boats are also working further up the canal to try and cut the problem off at the source."Discussing what he had witnessed, Mr Jefferys said: "I've seen dogs going into the canal basin and nearly drown [because of the duckweed], we've had trouble getting them out."I've seen it on three or four occasions people have lost dogs. In fact, we lost one last week in the upper basin."It's sad, but it is what it is. It's weird to see just how much there is of it - it seems to be never ending." Beth Norris the Wildlife and Water Officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust said duck weed had both good and bad qualities. Explaining what the phenomenon is, she said: "It is a natural part of the fresh water eco-system but it's basically tiny little plants which are normally no bigger than 5mm in diameter."They have a clover-like leaf but they are really good at cloning themselves and that's why you'll see big carpeted areas of it."Ms Norris added the plant was used a food source and a source of shelter for wildlife like ducks, frogs and insects. However, she said the downside of duckweed was how easily it can "close itself". "Because it does so well in these warm conditions we're having right now - particularly garden ponds - they can become carpeted in it," she said."That in itself can create problems, like lack of oxygen and blocking the light out for plants below the surface." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

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