After being blocked for over 100 years, Atlantic salmon can now spawn in the upper waters of the River Derwent, thanks to the removal of a weir, as reported by Phys.org.
Salmon Spawn Miracle: Century-Old Barrier Removed, Fish Return
Salmon are well-known for living at sea but swimming up rivers to lay eggs and hatch the next generation. Atlantic salmon, found in the North Atlantic Ocean, used to spawn in many rivers, including the River Derwent.
However, human activity over the last few centuries has heavily impacted rivers. Many rivers have been polluted, dredged, straightened, or dammed, destroying salmon spawning routes. Climate change, causing droughts and drying up rivers, has worsened the problem.
Now, efforts are being made to restore these aquatic routes, allowing salmon to swim upriver again and hopefully increase their dwindling population.
For years, locals in England have worked to improve the River Derwent’s health. However, Phys.org identified one remaining obstacle: the Snake Lane Weir, a low dam designed to raise the water level upriver.
In January, we began to see big fish in the Derwent. Tim Jacklin, a conservation officer for the Wild Trout Trust, according to Phys.org. “They became local celebrities. People were going out at night with head torches to watch them in the river. But this also highlighted that Snake Lane Weir was a complete barrier to fish moving upstream.”
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Motivated by this knowledge, locals removed the concrete weir and replaced it with boulder rapids that allow fish to swim upriver to where it becomes the Ecclesbourne, Phys.org explained.
“It’s very rewarding,” said Jacklin. “We opened up a good 6.2 miles of spawning habitat upstream, translating into hundreds more juvenile salmon making their way downstream and hopefully coming back to spawn.”