Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the Environment Agency. has said that urgent action is needed to protect England's most famous lakes from threats such as climate change and pollution

Lord Smith said that England’s most famous lakes such as Windermere and Grasmere are facing serious threats from climate change, non-native species and pollution from farming and sewage, and need urgent action to protect and restore them for future generations.

He announced that the Environment Agency is undertaking an assessment of around 730 of the most important lakes across England and Wales that will need to meet high standards under the Water Framework Directive. The organisation is also taking action to revive the life and health of England’s lakes.

Many lakes are under pressure from poor water quality which can be down to pollution from pesticides and fertilisers from farming, and sewage. Changing weather patterns resulting from climate change will bring challenges with drier summers and wetter winters. Invasive species such as Pigmyweed are also driving out native species in and around lakes.

The conference took place on the shores of Lake Windermere. Windermere faces water quality issues which are having a serious impact on life below the water’s surface.

It and other lakes face serious environmental challenges including:

• Impacts of pollution from farming and sewage - pesticides and fertilisers from farming in the Lake District are contributing to regular blue-green algal blooms which prevent people from going into the water.
• Protecting fish and other rare wildlife in the lakes - the vendace, a rare fish species that has survived in the Lake District since the ice age, were recently near extinction in Bassenthwaite Lake. They have been rescued and transferred to Scottish lochs to ensure their survival.
• The threat from the invasion of introduced species - the New Zealand Pigmyweed imported in 1911 has escaped from garden ponds into the lakes like Windermere and is out-competing many native species. The invasive weed smothers other plants and tackling it requires chemical control.
• Impacts of climate change - with climate change forecast to bring more intense storms this creates the potential for flooding, soil and pollution washed off land into lakes, and even potential for landslides.

Tricia Henton, Director of Environment and Business at the Environment Agency, said:

"Whilst water quality in our rivers has improved dramatically over the past 20 years, lakes have faced different, more complex environmental challenges.