As you may be aware, West Yorkshire, as well as many areas in the north of England, has experienced widespread flooding this week. At Fairburn Ings, we're thinking of everyone across the region who have been affected by the floods and hope you're all staying safe.
As a designated washland, Fairburn Ings is designed to flood when the water levels in the river Aire become too high. Because we take the excess water, urban areas like Castleford are largely protected. This is why it seems dry in Castleford and yet just up the road at Fairburn, there are floods.
The photos below show the car park under water and the road to the entrance to the car park.
This is the second flood we've had in two weeks, and water levels were still high when the latest water gushed onto the reserve. This meant that the reserve level was being "topped up" and so the flooding is deeper and more extensive than we've had earlier this month.
Even during times of environmental stress though, the reserve still provides places of refuge and home for the wildlife! The tiny beetles in this photo, are sheltering after the last flood, on one of our information boards.
When the amount of water in the Aire drops, water from the reserve can start to drain into the river. When that happens, and how quickly the water can drain, depends on conditions upstream. We'll reopen the visitor centre as soon as we're accessible and its safe for us to reopen. Please keep a look out on Facebook (RSPB West Yorks) and Twitter (@fairburnings) for updates.
And if you're missing Fairburn Ings, here's a lovely landscape of the reserve at dawn back in October to keep you going!
Thankyou Kate for the update. Hope this weather clears up soon and there's not to much damage. Wishing you and all at Fairburn Ings a Happy New Year.
Thankyou Kate although we are missing the reserve it seems very wrong to complain when so many have lost so much elsewhere lets hope it drains quickly :)