New Rock Ramp Fish Pass For Trout To Be Built

Environment Agency fisheries officers have recently carried out an electrofishing survey on the River Worth, Yorkshire, prior to installing a new rock ramp fish pass on the weir at Keighley later this summer.

The electrofishing survey was conducted upstream and downstream of the weir to determine how many fish are currently there. Some of the fish were marked, so that another survey can be done next year to assess the effectiveness of the fish pass.

Electro-fishing is an essential and effective technique for managing fisheries, either still waters or rivers. Usually done from a boat or by wading in shallow water, electric fishing uses the physiological effect of an electric field in water to stimulate a fish's nervous system so that it swims towards the operator or is unable to swim away and can be caught.   After the fish has been caught it can then be assessed for health, age, length, growth rate and sex before being returned unharmed to the river.

The River Worth, in West Yorkshire, is an important tributary of the River Aire and provides valuable spawning and nursery grounds for the River Aire's native brown trout population. However, the River Worth has many weirs, historically used to abstract water for local mills, which form barriers to fish and stop them from reaching suitable spawning grounds.  

"We're hoping this work will help the River Worth get back to its natural state, and allow the trout to move more freely along the river. We'll be monitoring the river closely to see just how successful the new fish pass is,” explained Environment Agency fisheries officer Pete Turner.

“The fish pass will be a rock ramp fish pass. This type looks very natural and works by putting large boulders on the downstream side of the river, which create slack water in which the fish can rest before moving to the next until eventually they can pass completely.”

The work on the fish pass is being carried out by the Environment Agency in partnership with the Highways Agency and Yorkshire Water as part of the Riverlife project. Contractors Mott MacDonald Bentley will carry out the construction. The weir where the fish pass will be constructed can be seen from the A650 and is owned by the Highways Agency.

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