Scalby Beck Project the AMI Scheme Anglers Monitoring Initiative and Beyond!
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Scalby Beck Project Scalby Beck is part of the Yorkshire work themselves with the local Trust’s River Derwent. Over 100 years ago a support. All the permissions are in place, man-made channel was cut from the plans have been approved, drawings headwaters of the Derwent to Scalby passed and the club is ready to go ahead Beck to take flood water as required. as soon as low flows allow the work to Scalby Beck discharges into the North progress. The materials to be used are Sea at a point north of Scarborough. As stainless steel brackets and expanding part of the flood relief channel a number bolts – the brackets will be used secure of weirs have been built to manage the oak timbers to the weir creating several energy of the floods. These weirs are a boxes for the fish to negotiate. These barrier to upstream migration for materials are an improvement on what was salmon, sea trout, eels and lampreys. A first used and so should stand up as well to number of years ago the Scalby Beck heavy flows as the original boxes. The Angling Club along with the Agency original pass is still functioning more than built a small wooden fish pass on one 10 years later (see photograph). The of the lower weirs. This is still in place positive thing about these type of materials and has worked well in relieving some is if there is a need for maintenance then of the pressure at a pinch point which is costs can be kept to a minimal. The Club the tidal limit. As this “home-build” fish has offered to share all the plans, method pass has been seen to work, the Scalby statements, risk assessments and other Club are hoping to replicate the initial relevant information with the Trust to pass on the next weir upstream. This enable any other interested parties to would involve the club undertaking the undertake similar projects. ANGLERS MONITORING INitiatiVE AND BEYOND! cold conditions of the 2010/2011 winter The AMI Scheme The AMI through freeze. Being able to report the Nationally launched in 2007 as a Riverfly photographic sighting of a kingfisher was Partnership leading project, the Anglers the East Yorkshire a pleasant task and shortly afterwards Monitoring Initiative involves training Chalk Rivers Trust sighting reports from locals started to volunteer groups to use a simple sampling come through. The second sequence of and recording method to assess the The EYCRT became involved with the AMI note was the ‘fishing’ pattern used by a biological quality of rivers. The at the launch of the scheme and sites in heron. Apart from a regular pattern of observations, usually made on a monthly the general area of Driffield were included movement around the edge of the basis, record the presence/absence of in the early days. During October 2011 a stream’s deep pool, one picture shows the eight aquatic invertebrate groups with the refresher AMI course was held at Foston bird wading into the water and raising its results being forwarded to a regional Beck chalk stream, near Driffield, where wings. Suggested reasons for this coordinator and delegated Environment ‘experienced’ monitors were updated on behaviour include the prevention of Agency officer. In essence, ‘the Riverfly procedures and identification of wetting the wings or to trick minnows into Partnership, in collaboration with local specimens to a higher level of recognition. the security of ‘overhead vegetation’. organisations, continues to lead the The course tutor was Stuart Crofts, a The River Seven at Sinnington is also initiative to meet its core aims of working to recognised authority on caddis flies, surveyed by members of the local angling help protect the water quality of supported by Joanna Hood, the regional club, through the EYCRT, under the AMI watercourses and conserve their riverfly EA biologist. scheme. Here the methodology used by populations, The Riverfly Partnership is a Additionally to the Anglers Monitoring members was updated through an AMI network of organisations committed to Initiative, to gain a greater understanding course held in October 2011. The AMI furthering the understanding and of ‘river life’, a remote infra red movement- courses, although instructive are also conservation of riverfly populations’. triggered camera was mounted on an old good fun and the sight of keen ‘samplers’ brick footbridge over the Gypsey Race at finding different river organisms in their Boynton for a week at the beginning of net, and asking about their finds, makes it August 2011. From some 3500 pictures, all worthwhile. Again, the Sinnington many triggered by passing birds, rain, survey goes a step further in that other wind, etc., several sequences were ‘finds’ in the catch, such as deer fly larva, notable. The first was the appearance on bullheads and stone loaches are taken several occasions of the ‘local’ kingfisher, into account and add to gaining more not seen by local people since the very information about the ‘living river’. EAST YORKSHIRE CHALK RIVERS TRUST Newsletter 6 - July 2012 OUR CHAIRMAN IS AWARDED INTERNATIONAL Dealing with Invasive None FISHERIES SCIENCE PRIZE Native Species (INNS) A University of Hull professor who has awarded once every The Trust has been undertaking been actively involved in promoting four years, so to surveys along our watercourses to sustainable inland fisheries and receive it is a identify and ultimately deal with INNS conservation all over the world has won tremendous honour. on our rivers. the International Fisheries Science Prize. I very much see this Japanese Knotweed is one of these Professor Ian Cowx, who is Director of as not an award for species that has a minor foothold on the University of Hull International me, but as an award the Gypsey Race from the wolds to Fisheries Institute, has worked both in the for all the people who have supported me Bridlington town centre. UK, Europe and across the world to raise through all these years to allow me to get The Trust has been involved in awareness, conserve fisheries and involved in the work that I do. Hopefully, starting to eradicate this plant. promote sustainable inland water the projects I have been able to complete Japanese Knotweed can damage ecosystems. will continue to benefit not just the people structures as it can grow through brick Projects have included developing affected across the world, but also my work and tarmac. It is very difficult to management plans for sustainable fellow staff and students at the Hull eradicate and can require several fisheries on Lake Victoria, the second International Fisheries Institute.” treatments. largest lake in the world, and assessing A spokesman for the American the potential impacts of damming on the Fisheries Society, co-sponsors of the prize fisheries of the Mekong River, a major with the World Fisheries Congress, said: food-source for many people living near “Professor Cowx has had an outstanding the river. career of diversified research and support Alongside this, he has trained more of global conservation of fisheries than 30 PhD and 300 MSc students from resources. He has demonstrated a strong at least 80 countries, ensuring the skills conservation ethic by promoting the and knowledge he has accumulated over importance of conserving global the years is carried forward. freshwater fish communities and fisheries The combination of Professor Cowx’s with his involvement in fisheries ground-breaking project work with his conservation in multiple developing educational legacy, has led to his countries in addition to many projects in receiving the International Fisheries Prize the UK and Europe. Professor Cowx’s – a sort of lifetime achievement award for contributions to both fisheries scientists in his field. conservation and the advancement of This prestigious award is only fisheries science on a global scale have presented once every four years, and is earned him the distinction as the recipient only the second time someone has been of the 2012 International Fisheries Science recognised with the honour. Prize.” Professor Cowx said: “I am Professor Cowx was presented with his overwhelmed by this award. It’s a very award at the World Fisheries Congress, important and prestigious prize that is only which was held in Edinburgh in May. Gypsey Race - Disused Gauging Weir Gypsey Race – This structure used by the Environment Centrica River Agency and its predecessors to measure flows in this small stream is no improvement longer required. project. The Trust has discovered that the structure and its associated building Volunteers from Yorkshire Wildlife was ‘handed back’ to the County Trust and EYCRT undertook a tree Council in the late 1980s. planting programme on the banks of The Trust is intending to work with Gypsey Race as part of a habitat the present owners, East Riding of improvement project on this small Yorkshire Council, to remove the weir chalk stream. and reform the meandering course of miles of watercourse to all migrating the stream as it was prior to the weir fish species. When the structure has being installed. been removed the old stream course The project is at a very early stage will be reformed and any accumulated in its development and the funding is silt deposits caused by the weir will be being sort that will open up several removed. Gypsey Race Survey Water voles the Boynton Hall and Home Farm sheep YWT tree planting project. A survey, primarily for signs of water voles fields, also Willow Garth SSSI and the along the Gypsey Race, was conducted lower end of Carr Plantation. belonging to an otter and a spraint was on 28th July 2011. The Centrica site was found on a nearby fallen tree. The spraint not covered as this had already been Bird nest boxes contained the remains of a small mammal.