For two summers in a row, drought has been declared in Worcestershire. While the Environment Agency explains that droughts are natural events that cannot be defined, as every drought is different, they are normally characterised by a shortage of rainfall. As climate change progresses, we are likely to see more of these extreme weather events, including extremely low rainfall, or extreme rainfall. 

Ponds can help to provide resilience in the landscape for either extreme by storing water and releasing it slowly into the environment, providing wetland habitats for species that need it and relief for heat-stressed flora and fauna. 

Below are some general tips to help you support wildlife and ponds during a drought: 

• Amphibians and invertebrates can hunker down in damp silt or soil at the bottom of the pond or in other damp terrestrial habitats, so even if you’re tempted to use this opportunity of dry weather to desilt or remove vegetation, please leave it in place for wildlife to shelter in.
• Pond maintenance should take place October – January, as this will avoid the time of year amphibians use ponds for breeding. However, some invertebrates, such as dragonflies, have a two-year life cycle, which mainly takes place within a pond or its vegetation. In this case, if you are removing vegetation, please leave it with the root side closest to the edge of the pond, so any larvae yet to emerge can find the pond safely.
• It is likely with the drought continuing that ground water levels will still be below average in October, so there’s a good chance the pond will still be dry or have low levels to enable easier maintenance in the autumn.
• Even if overgrown, please don’t remove any vegetation as it will help keep moisture in the pond and provide shading.
• Please do not move any amphibians to other ponds where there might be more water. It may spread diseases, and some amphibians are very site loyal anyway, so will likely try to return, which could also expose them to harm from hot weather, predation or cars.
• If you fear a garden pond is going to go completely dry, without any damp silt in the bottom, then it should ideally be topped with rainwater from a water butt.
• Understandably, during a drought, there is a good chance you may run out of water in your water butts and be tempted to use tap water, however, tap water can be high in chemicals and nutrients that can be bad for wildlife. If you feel compelled to top up a pond, then aim to leave water in a container for 48 hours before adding it to allow some of the chemicals to evaporate. Do not aim to fill the pond, as just maintaining a level of dampness will be good enough for most species. A good alternative would be to leave a shallow dish or tray of water out for wildlife to use instead.
• You should always check your water companies’ guidance for temporary use bans (often called a hosepipe ban) or non-essential use bans, as they may ask you to refrain from topping up ponds with tap water during this time. Although this may seem worrying it, during a drought it’s important to remember that water companies and statutory bodies will be working hard to maintain a healthy flow in rivers or ground water levels. The more we take from a tap, the more water companies will need to extract water from the natural environment, which can also be detrimental to wildlife.