River Welland Fish Pass Update and Monitoring Report 2014
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River Welland fish pass update and monitoring report 2014 Tallington fish pass in early June after heavy rainfall. 1 River Welland Monitoring Report Executive Summary Fish and eel passes were installed during 2012/13 on two previously impassable structures, Tallington Gauging Weir and Duddington Mill Weir. To understand how effective the passes have been, underwater video monitoring was undertaken during the spring and summer of 2014. The monitoring has shown that the passes at Tallington and Duddington have provided effective fish passage over previously unassailable barriers. Despite the fact that the monitoring was undertaken outside of the peak migration periods for the main species in the River Welland, the results clearly show a range of species can utilise the passes in both an upstream and downstream direction. Species such as eels whose survival relies on the ability to freely migrate in and out of rivers into saline water are now using the passes regularly. This is vital to maintaining and increasing their numbers in the Welland system and beyond. Resident fish species such as chub and trout are also using the passes to move between river reaches and make best use of their now increased habitat range. This will greatly improve the resilience of fish stocks in the future on a river system that has suffered population declines. These results are encouraging given the short time the passes have been in place. As fish behaviour adapts a higher use of the passes by resident species will become more common. 2 River Welland Monitoring Report Introduction The aim of this report is to: Summarise the progress to date in terms of making existing obstructions passable to fish and eels; Assess the recent monitoring results from two newly installed fish passes on the River Welland; Tallington fish pass in Lincolnshire (pictured below) and Duddington fish pass in Northamptonshire; and Identify any future monitoring plans on the River Welland. Background The River Welland has been heavily modified throughout the centuries for navigation, water resource and flood defence purposes. These modifications saw numerous locks, sluices and weirs put in place within the river to alter, retain and change its flows and depths. When structures like these were installed then there is an instant change in the ability of a fish population to act naturally within their lifecycle characteristics. Fish migrate for a number of reasons, to spawn successfully in particular habitat conditions, to find food, to avoid drought and to access refuge and shelter. The building of one structure can prevent successful completion of fish life cycles. Anadromous fish species such as sea trout and salmon require the ability to swim up freshwater rivers to spawn. Catadromous species such as eels require the opposite, the ability to migrate out to the Atlantic to spawn and for their juveniles to be able to ascend the rivers again upon their arrival at the coast. Resident species in the river such as cyprinids (e.g. roach and dace) need the ability to move to freely around the river as part of their lifecycle characteristics. The key migration periods for fish species in the Welland catchment is as follows: Eel upstream migration – April to September inclusive. Eel downstream migration - October to December inclusive. Coarse fish migration - March to June inclusive. Brown trout migration - September to November inclusive. Sea trout migration – All Year (NB we will be narrowing down the critical period for sea trout with on-going monitoring) Lamprey migration - September – March inclusive. 3 River Welland Monitoring Report Existing Obstructions to fish and eel passage A number of key obstructions to fish passage were identified in the Welland catchment in 2011 as part of a catchment scale approach to improving the ecological status of the river. These obstructions comprise a mixture of weirs, locks and sluices which are shown on Figure 1 below. The aim has been to investigate and provide, if required, fish pass solutions for these obstructions. These fish passes are either delivered as standalone projects or tied into the refurbishment of these obstructions as part of maintenance schemes. As part of the catchment scale approach, these fish pass solutions compliment the wider ongoing works in the catchment. This includes measures to control diffuse / point source pollution and in channel works to enhance degraded river habitats. It is important to recognise that making these obstructions passable is not the total solution to improving fish stocks and the condition of the river so this holistic catchment approach is essential. 4 River Welland Monitoring Report Figure 1: Key Obstructions on the River Welland 5 River Welland Monitoring Report Progress to Date Of the obstructions identified in Figure 1, the following progress has been made with regard to providing fish passage: Table 1: Progress on fish pass design and construction Obstruction Watercourse Asset Design Complete / Construction Owner Planned Complete / Planned Surfleet Sluice River Glen EA Design underway: Construction planned in Automation and soft 2015/16 close doors Fulney Lock River Welland EA Design complete: Construction planned in Installation of 2015 penstock in tidal door Marsh Road Coronation EA Optioneering No construction Sluice Channel complete but no planned. Will be design undertaken considered alongside any refurbishment Kates Bridge River Glen EA No design work to No construction Weir date planned. Will be considered alongside any refurbishment Nine Bridges Maxey Cut IDB Design complete: Construction date to be Weir extra stop log confirmed with asset required in weir but owner this requires weir to first be repaired Piled Weir Maxey Cut EA Design complete: Construction completed installation of notch in 2014 and adherent nappe Rock Ramp Maxey Cut EA Design complete: Construction completed Installation of pool in 2014 pass, adherent nappe and eel pass Timber Weir Maxey Cut EA Design complete: Construction completed installation of notch in 2014 and adherent nappe Lolham Road Maxey Cut PCC Design complete: Construction planned Bridge installation of eel tiles alongside refurbishment. No refurbishment planned in the short term Tallington Weir Maxey Cut EA Design complete: Construction completed installation of larinier, in 2014 pre barrage and eel pass Newstead Mill River Gwash EA Design complete: Construction planned in construction of new 2015 bypass channel Borderville River Gwash Private Design complete: Construction completed Weir removal of adjacent in 2013 sluice to reconnect bypass 6 River Welland Monitoring Report Obstruction Watercourse Asset Design Complete / Construction Owner Planned Complete / Planned Belmesthorpe River Gwash EA Design complete: Construction completed Weir installation of low cost in 2015 baffles and eel pass Hudds Mill River Welland EA Design complete: No construction installation of larinier planned. Will be and eel pass considered alongside any refurbishment Tinwell Weir River Welland EA Design complete: No construction installation of bypass planned. Will be channel and larinier considered alongside any refurbishment Fosters Bridge River Welland EA Design complete: Construction completed Weir installation of pre in 2013 barrage and eel pass Duddington River Welland EA Design complete: Construction completed Weir installation of pool in 2013 travers pass and eel pass Barrowden River Welland EA Design complete: No construction Weir installation of larinier planned. Will be and eel pass considered alongside any refurbishment Seaton Weir River Welland EA Design complete: Construction planned in rock ramp 2015 Gretton Weir River Welland EA Design complete: No construction Bypass and larinier planned. Will be considered alongside any refurbishment Ashley Weir River Welland EA Design complete: Construction completed installation of pre in 2013 barrage and eel pass Stonton Weir Stonton Brook EA Design complete: Construction completed weir removal and rock in 2013 ramp Langton Brook Langton EA Design complete: Construction completed Brook notch weir and pre in 2013 barrage Market River Welland EA Design complete: Construction completed Harborough partial weir removal in 2013 Weir 1 Market River Welland EA Design complete: Construction completed Harborough partial weir removal in 2013 Weir 2 In summary 13 or the 25 obstructions listed in the table above have now been constructed with several more planned. Other passes that were already in place in the Welland catchment before 2011 include Low Locks, High Locks, Wherry’s Mill, Fletland Mill, and Greatford Cottages. These are currently being investigated by the Fisheries, Biodiversity and Geomorphology team to ensure they are working efficiently and being maintained as required. 7 River Welland Monitoring Report Monitoring the success and efficiency of installed passes at Tallington and Duddington The fish and eel passes at Duddington and Tallington were constructed in 2012 / 13 to comply with the Eel Regulations 2009, the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, and the Water Framework Directive. The fish pass at Duddington comprises a 5 m wide; 45m long pool traverse type fish pass. The eel pass at this site comprises 3 bristle type troughs, one extending the length of the pool traverse fish pass and the other 2 extending over the new weir sills. The fish pass at Tallington comprises a 0.6m wide, 7m long larinier type pass with a timber pre barrage downstream. Alongside this is a vertical brush eel pass.