The impact of drought on Colliford Lake, England, UK
Colliford Lake is the largest reservoir in Cornwall, in south-west England. It lies on the granitic landscapes of Bodmin Moor and can hold about 28.5 billion litres of water, more than 60% of the county’s reservoir storage capacity. According to England’s Environment Agency, parts of Cornwall have been impacted by severe drought since 15 October 2026, following the driest April to September period in over a century. The reservoir was 71% full at the end of October 2024 and only 33% full at the beginning of November 2026.
These natural-colour Copernicus Sentinel-2 images, acquired on 3 October 2024 and 6 November 2026, show the reservoir and its surroundings. The 2024 image shows the reservoir with only a narrow pale rim along the shoreline. The 2026 image shows a smaller water extent surrounded by wide pale banks of exposed ground, with the northern arm is reduced to a thin channel.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 data help monitor changes in surface water extent over time, supporting assessments of drought impacts on water resources.
