Between them, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency intended to experiment with the summer flow patterns of two important local watercourses – Booth Dean Clough, which runs from Booth Wood reservoir, and the River Ryburn.

The idea, on paper, appeared sensible. It would reduce the amount of water leaving the reservoir in the summer to protect against drought. The trials were due to begin this week.

Water conservation is one thing, but as the anglers from the Ryburn and Halifax Club pointed out, this would have a dramatic effect on the eco-system of the waters concerned. And as they feed the River Calder, there would be a knock-on there too.

Both YW and the EA are highly skilled in water management, but anyone with the faintest interest in river habitat knows that reduced water volume in summertime can be devastating.

A lack of flow leads to de-oxygenation and poses a threat to not only fish but other layers of the food cycle too.

Those who have not followed the almost miraculous fortunes of local rivers over the last two decades might like to know some of the tremendous steps forward that have happened.

Water quality is without doubt at its best for probably more than a century. Birds like kingfishers and herons are regular visitors and even a rare species of lamprey has been found.

In terms of fish life, trout and grayling now thrive and breed along swathes of the upper Calder system and once fish ladders are restored on the lower reaches it is just a matter of time before the first salmon and sea trout make their way back to the spawning beds they were forced to abandon at the time of the Industrial Revolution.

While the anglers celebrate it is also worth considering this. Not too long ago it would have been extremely difficult to fashion a climbdown of this sort.

That this happened now shows that the EA and YW are prepared to listen. And for that they too should be congratulated.