Below are 2 pictures from a small brook which is a tributary o the Erewash on the section we have been restoring. We have been exploring the possibility of fish spawning on this brook and came across these 2 situations. My question to you older and wiser folk is should they stay or should they go now . Please give opinion

1/ The first is an old steel footbridge which the steelworkers used to cross for work at the famous Stanton Ironworks years ago. Needless to say its collapsed and twisted creating a small waterfall.



2/ This picture shows a blockage showing the water 2ft higher upstream due to being hold back.



What say you?

Mick

__________________
"I will give him seven feet of English ground, or as much more as he may be taller than other men"
http://derbyshireonthefly.blogspot.com/

Feature in pic.1 i would let be, blockage in pic.2 i would definately consider getting rid of.


Edit : though i dont proclaim to be an expert on such matters - just going off gut-feeling.

Hi Trugg

If this trib is a planned nursery for the main river then free passage of the water....so remove the obstacles.
But don't forget to include reinstatement of shelter in some form.....but I'm sure Warren will have already advised you on this subject

__________________
Two things to have in life - A good bed and a good pair of boots -and if you aren't in one you should be in t'other

Mick ,
my response is keep both ,some deep holes and slow spots will be refuge for both high and low water situations .We are expecting more extremes of weather !

__________________
Andy Wren
Winter grayling taking a year off !
Claret not just a great dubbing colour!

object 1 keep, object 2 looks more likely to be a serious obstacle to the movement of fish upstream and I'd be tempted to remove it, or, probably just knock a chunk out of it letting water move some but keeping the shelter. That big a blockage is likely to force the flow of the river out around your existing channel over time, if you have the space and want the river to be completely free to move where it will, then fine. If not, a break in that allowing the flow to go through a bit will keep the stream flowing in it's old channel a bit better (no guarantees on any river though!) - actually from the photo it looks like it could already be eroding the far bank eventually it'd cut round the back of the concrete base shown in the photo.

If nothing else, it looks in the photo like it could be silting up downstream of the blockage and letting the flow go a bit is going to help you clean up some gravel as spawning ground was a stated objective.

__________________
ugly casts catch fish too
http://nadder-diary.net

Learn about water, its effects and anomalies. Read about how flow reacts to obstructions. Research strategies available to those working with running water. Sit down next to river and think. I have to admit to talking to myself quietly as I imagine the consequences of different types of action or inaction, but this isn’t about me, or anyone here, this is your project and it’s up to you to work it through. Restoration is not a committee decision, it is a personal thing and it doesn’t rely on luck. You are in charge and you are more than capable, having seen your work first hand . Enjoy yourself Mick and find your feet. If you make mistakes, like we all do, it’s crucial that you learn from them.

Worth the read: based in america but the priciples are the same,
Trout Stream Therapy by Robert Hunt.
I ordered this after a similar thread where RichardW suggested it

Chris

__________________
My Blog: http://duellingdialysis.wordpress.com/

Restoring a stretch of river is a great project and I wish you all the best but it is never a personal thing! Great personal satisfaction of course but any work on rivers needs complete agreement from both upstream and downstream. If it is your own river that affects nobody else either upstream or downstream then yes maybe it is different thing but I would imagine all sorts of permission and pre-warning is required to remove any kind of blockage. What will happen upstream when the level drops by a few feet?

I'm afraid I have experience on the chalkstreams where you need permission to get out of bed in the morning and any bank work requires meetings about having meetings which doesn't neccessarily help the rivers. However, some of well meaning peoples (usually fishermen or riparian owners) ideas on how to improve the chalkstreams would make your hair stand on end and thank god for committees!!

A tedious and frustrating process I know but better than taking it personally!

I take my hat to you Mick and it sounds like you have done this before so good luck and I hope it all works out well.

I am a great advocate of removing all obstacles in rivers and think a great step forward for the chalkstreams would be to get rid of all the now unused sluice gates, mill hatches etc. Let the rivers find their natural levels and flows again.

Reg Wyatt

Mick,
I say we leave the first structure, but remove the 2nd. It would seem leaving both wouldn't upset anyone, or removing both either!
Must meet up again to walk some more of our glorious streams.

http://rivererewashrestorationproject.blogspot.com/

Thankyou all for your input

Pic1/ I love the idea of all those workers crossing the brook to the Ironworks over the years and would hope to rebuild/replace it while incorporating some steel from the old bridge into building a new bridge. I believe the brook would benefit from complet removal, especially during low levels when the flow is completely stopped and the silting gets worse. The little experience I've had has showed me that a little increase in the flow, can go someway to cleaning and repairing the brook in a very natural way.

Pic2/ This blockage could be part cleared to increase flow while keeping some cover using the tree roots. I think a carefully placed boom could go someway to keeping the brook flowing but maintanance/clearing of them is paramount. I should mention that there will not be the restrictions on this part of the project compared to the river, such as planning etc

Thanks again

Mick

Mick

__________________
"I will give him seven feet of English ground, or as much more as he may be taller than other men"
http://derbyshireonthefly.blogspot.com/