World’s media fooled by disappearing river – again, Teesdale Mercury

DALE residents and environment experts have scoffed at national reports that a local river has dried up by pointing out that it actually runs underground.

Media organisations across the world last week reported that the River Greta had run dry.

The story featured in several national newspapers, on television news and even in one locally-based paper. They all showed two photographs portraying the river in “full flow” and then “bone dry”.

The pictures were taken near a spot known as God’s Bridge, where a natural limestone arch runs over the river.

The river often appears to be dry at God’s Bridge because the water disappears through porous rocks before reappearing downstream.

The water only runs above the rocks after periods of rain – a phenomenon that sometimes tricks people into believing there’s a drought.

The Daily Mail last week reported: “River dries up in days as summer finally comes to the UK.”

The Express repeated the claim: “River dries up in drought alert.”

The newspaper then went on to say: “Experts fear this scene in beautiful Teesdale, an unspoilt corner of County Durham, is but the first of many to unfold across the country.”

Tyne Tees news broadcast a special report from the Greta, saying how the dry weather had reduced it to a trickle.

It follows similar claims made by many national newspapers in 2008 following a sunny day in an otherwise wet summer.

At the time, the Daily Mail reported how the Greta had been “transformed into a sun-baked ditch, with just the odd puddle to trouble crossing walkers”.

An American eco-group then used this information in a film, broadcast around the world, called “Save Our Planet”, about how climate change was causing rivers to dry up. 

Philip Tavener, who runs a guesthouse near God’s Bridge, said: “It’s not true to say it has dried up. The river disappears for a few hundred metres but if you look further down the river, you’ll see it running above ground again.

 “The river can sometimes appear to run dry even in winter,” said Mr Tavener.

Prof David Bellamy, who lives near Hamsterley, told us last year: “The River Greta has a mind of its own and often disappears underground, popping up further down its porous limestone bed.”

However, Mr Tavener said people living in the area were worried about water supplies drying up this summer.

“We get our water from a natural spring, like most people around here. 

“We’re worried there won’t be enough water to keep us going – the moors are really dry,” he said.

Last week’s photographs of the Greta, and also those taken in 2008, were provided by Newcastle-based news agency North News.

A spokesman for North News said it had pointed out that the River Greta at God’s Bridge runs underground.

“We made that clear in the editorial copy we provided. Any slant a newspaper then takes is their decision,” he said.

Following the reports, the Environment Agency issued a statement saying there were a number of factors why the riverbed often becomes dry at God’s Bridge – including the type of rock. 

The agency added that the phenomenon makes for “dramatic” pictures but that it didn’t suggest a drought was on the way.