A project to help fish such as salmon migrate up the River Frome has been delayed due to poor weather and difficult ground conditions.
The project is to construct a fish pass on a weir at Louds Mill in Dorchester. At the moment fish have extreme difficulty in jumping over the weir to reach better spawning grounds, important for their survival in the Frome.
As the weir is also used to measure river flows in the Frome and the data forms part of the National River Flow Archive, it is vital to ensure that flows can be measured accurately.
The scheme is a partnership project between the Environment Agency and the Frome, Piddle and West Dorset Fisheries Association.
The project has been significantly delayed by the exceptionally bad summer weather, and this has been exacerbated by the very poor ground conditions on site giving rise to an increase in costs.
Rather than spend considerably more public money at this stage, the Environment Agency and the Fisheries Association have agreed to suspend the project for now and assess other options with the aim to complete the project next summer.
‘We are very disappointed. After several years on this project we were looking forward to seeing all salmon being able to get over Louds Mill weir this autumn. Construction has hit unforeseen difficulties and we cannot commit more funds until all options have been considered. I hope and expect the project will be complete next year, ‘ said David Bunt for the Environment Agency.
‘All possible options will be considered over the coming weeks to deliver this project and bids for additional expenditure, if needed, will be made within the Agency over the winter. We should know in February the best way to proceed with this project.’
Charles Dutton, for the Frome, Piddle & West Dorset Fisheries Association, said: ‘It is a blow for the Frome salmon and to our Association members who are contributing £20,000 to help this project. However, we are very positive that the project will continue and are giving the Environment Agency all the support we can. We are considering increasing our contribution to the project if this would ensure its completion next year.’
