WATER levels at one of Cornwall’s key reservoirs are so low, some activities including fishing have had to be cancelled.

More than 250,000 people in south and west Cornwall, including residents in Truro, Redruth and Falmouth, get their water from Stithians reservoir, West Cornwall's largest inland body of water.

The reservoir was built by South West Water 60 years ago, flooding a valley, 274 acres of farmland and three country houses. However, water levels currently sit at 25 per cent (source South West Lakes Trust), and leisure facilities managed by South West Lakes Trust (SWLT) are currently closed to non-members due to safety concerns regarding water levels.

An SWLT spokesperson said: “Due to low water levels, Stithians Lake Activity Centre is now closed for watersports equipment hire and non-member self-launch, although there is still limited access for members, depending on what type of watercraft they have.

“We have also temporarily closed Stithians for angling due to concerns about the safety of anglers accessing and using the fishery.

“We will continue to monitor conditions closely. When water levels recover sufficiently and we can safely reopen the Activity Centre and fishery, we will do so.”

Siblyback, on the southern fringes of Bodmin Moor, currently sits at 24 per cent full. Its activity centre closes at the end of September every year anyway, but the SWLT spokesperson confirmed the lake was closed to fishing due to water levels.

A South West Water spokesperson said: "We are continuing to monitor the low reservoir levels at Stithians closely, and are aware that some sporting events may be postponed due to these conditions caused by the ongoing drought. Recent rainfall has been welcome; however, after a prolonged period of dry weather, it will take sustained rainfall over a number of months before we see a significant improvement in storage levels.

“We would like to thank customers for continuing to reduce their water usage as the region remains under a hosepipe ban. Efforts to save water are helping us manage supplies carefully and protect the environment during a continued period of drought. “Alongside careful management of water resources, we continue to invest in measures that strengthen resilience, including reducing leakage, maximising water available for supply and developing new water sources."

An Environment Agency spokesperson added that levels at several reservoirs are “concerningly low”.

“Continued below average rainfall means we all need to use water wisely because drought is far from over,” said the spokesperson.

“We need water companies to take every action possible to secure water supplies going into next year, including stepping up on leakage reduction and following their drought plans.

“Water supplies are limited and we continue to balance the needs of agriculture, public water supply and our environment.

“A few weeks of wetter weather cannot reverse the deficit we face from the very dry spring and summer. We still need everyone’s else to use a little less water to speed up the drought recovery.”