A major fish rescue operation will take place at Chasewater Reservoir next week before water levels sink dangerously low during draining, before essential dam safety work starts.

Thousands of fish must be removed from the Chasewater Country Park site. Earlier this month contractors caught samples of fish to assess their health and experts have now deemed that their condition is “satisfactory.”

This means the rescue operation can be carried out one day next week when water levels are suitable.

Lichfield District Council spokeswoman Elizabeth Thatcher has urged residents to steer clear of the rescue mission.

She said: “British Waterways’ fish rescue contractors have been on site moving fish from small pools to the main pool over the past few days and a number of people have been wading out into the muddy reservoir bed to get a closer view of the fish rescue operation.

“Whilst we understand people’s interest, we need to respectfully ask all onlookers to remain on the banks.

“This is not only because it is unsafe to walk on the reservoir bed, it could also interfere with the rescue.

”The fish will be rehomed in British Waterways sites throughout in the West Midlands and will not be returned to Chasewater, even when the £2.5 million repair works are complete.

Ms Thatcher added: “It will take between two and three years for the beauty spot to recover.

If we put fish back into the reservoir as soon as we start to refill it, they would likely be affected due to a lack of naturally occurring food.”

The reservoir will be allowed to restock naturally from the streams that will used to refill it once work is completed.