Migrating Fish Given a Helping Hand

The sort of obstacles that migrating fish find blocking their way upstream

Four tributaries of the River Eden have been opened up to fish to live and breed as a result of work undertaken by Eden Rivers Trust during 2011.

The improvements have taken place on the River Petteril near Southwaite, the Robberby Water near Langwathby and on two tributaries of the River Belah near Kirkby Stephen.

The work was needed because there are many places in the Eden Valley where fish cannot migrate upstream to spawn because of man-made obstacles in their way.  Examples of these include weirs, bridges with cement pipes (culverts) underneath, and culverts beneath roads and railway lines. 

Simon Johnson, Director of Eden Rivers Trust, said, “These barriers particularly prevent fish migrating in low water conditions and restrict the area of river available for them to expand their populations”.

Three areas of the River Petteril were addressed to help salmon and trout populations in this river.  In one area, a row of large rocks – a rock ramp – was placed in the river downstream of a railway culvert.  This created a pool and raised the water levels through the pipe so that fish could get through it.  A similar method was used downstream of a farmer’s bridge which had culverts beneath.  A third project involved re-instating an old water course around a small waterfall which had become a barrier to fish trying to move up the river.

On Sandwath Sike, a tributary of the River Belah near Kirkby Stephen, a farm bridge with culverts beneath was removed and replaced with a bridge which spanned the river completely.  On Powbrand Sike, another tributary of the River Belah, a further bridge with culverts beneath was made passable by fish using a rock ramp to raise water levels through the pipes.  This continued previous work by the Trust to improve the River Belah system for trout.

On Robberby Water near Langwathby a man-made weir at Little Salkeld flour mill had been preventing fish migrating up the river.  In 2007 the Trust installed a series of lines of stones in the river – pre-weirs - to raise the water level gradually so that fish could get up the main weir. 

Severe flooding subsequently eroded the banks and caused bank side trees to fall into the river.  This altered the water levels so that fish could no longer get up the weirs.  So the fallen trees were pinned into the river bank to prevent further erosion and to raise the water levels in the pre-weir pools. 

Using the trees has the added advantage of introducing woody debris into the river which provides shelter and food for fish and invertebrates.  Willows were planted alongside the weirs to help stabilise the river banks.

The work, which cost £23,000, was funded by Defra and supported by The Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency.  It was undertaken by local contractors SIBA Contracts Ltd and Metcalfe Plant Hire Ltd.

Further information on Eden Rivers Trust is available at www.edenriverstrust.org.uk. 

Replacing a bridge on Sandwath Sike, a tributary of the River Belah, near Kirkby Stephen, to allow fish to move up river – before and after

BEFORE

AFTER