www.managingwater.co.uk Fish Passes & River Structures
Borrowash Fish Pass - The largest in the Midlands
One of the key elements to the successful operation of the fish pass channel was the installation of artificial plastic reeds referred to as “fish brushes”. These fish brushes slow the water flow down and create eddies and back currents to enable fish to swim up through the pass into the mill pond and continue upstream stream. To complete the project, range of A.G.A. Group bioengineering systems were used to combat erosion and undercutting of the banks along 200 m of the clients property, new habitat was created, water meadows restored and the bio-diversity of the project site totally enhanced. Products use include unplanted & pre-vegetated coir rolls, AGA Span vertical revetment, rock rolls and hardwood fagots, each used according to the dictates of the site conditions and habitat creation considerations. A.G.A. TRM’s (turf reinforcement mat) were used for soil stabilisation during recovery and naturalisation of the bank. TRM’s have kept the soil in situ during the establishment of under sown grass and wild flower seeds while providing a micro climate for successful germination.
CDM Contractors for the project. A.G.A. Bioengineering Systems Ltd. have brought together their bioengineering skills, fisheries expertise and civil engineering experience to carry out the required hard and soft engineering plans, whilst using a hands on ‘feel’ to create a pool and riffle sequence, and restored channel, from the mill pool to the fish pass.
This fish pass was officially opened on 21 September 2012 and is the largest built in the Midlands region. It allows fish to freely migrate upstream past the weir to their spawning grounds using a bypass channel.
Borrowash fish pass enables fish such as eel, lamprey, salmon and sea trout to pass through the first artificial barrier on the River Derwent on their way upstream. The fish pass will deliver immediate benefits to coarse fish, help to improve the water environment and potentially open the way for the return of salmon into this catchment.
The work links to a programme of fish passage projects at nine weirs throughout the Trent and Derwent catchments being delivered in partnership between the Environment Agency, the Trent Rivers Trust and Derby City Council. The purpose of the work is to restore sustainable fish populations, and create a much healthier and more diverse River Derwent catchment. The ultimate aim is to improve the river’s status under the Water Framework Directive - EU legislation governing the water quality in rivers.
Jim Finnegan, Environment Agency Fisheries Technical Specialist said: “This has been one of the most significant fisheries projects we have delivered in the Midlands region. Artificial barriers to fish migration in the form of weirs are an on-going legacy of the industrial revolution which began on the Derwent, and Borrowash fish pass will help start to overcome the wide-ranging environmental damage they cause. Along with all the other work taking place on the river, this will have hugely positive impact on this iconic waterway as well as the wider community.”
images courtesy of the Environment Agency
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