Loch Vaa, Scotland
Despite an unusually dry April in the notoriously rainy Scottish Highlands, an unpredictable local loch is now way above normal levels, baffling experts and locals.
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The level at a loch that mysteriously lost millions of gallons of water a year ago has risen to one of its highest in years, reports BBC News.
Loch Vaa, near Aviemore in the Cairngorms, is fed by a spring.
In May last year, its lease-holders reported the water level had dropped by 1.4m (4.5ft) for unexplained reasons.
However, after returning to normal levels later in 2019, it has now risen by an extra 2.5m (8ft), the highest level in decades.
“The boats in the boathouse were hitting off the roof,” said Brian O’Donnell, who helps to manage use of the loch.
He said: “It is the highest I have seen in 20 years. This has happened during what is likely to have been one of the driest Aprils, and after a poor winter with little snow-melt.”
Nearby Avie Lochan is also spring-fed but its water level has not changed.
Mr O’Donnell added: “It is pretty amazing and we might never know what is going on with the Loch Vaa.”
After losing tens of millions of gallons of water over the course of about nine months to May last year, Loch Vaa returned to normal in September 2019 – but only after almost 40 days of rain.
Full report here.
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
April 29, 2020 at 05:48AM
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