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In a remarkable ecological milestone, the removal of a dam in Derbyshire has allowed hundreds of salmon to swim up the River Derwent for the first time in 100 years.
According to a report on Good News Network, the sight of salmon so far upstream has caused quite a stir among locals. Industrial activity in the East Midlands had long driven Atlantic salmon out of the Derwent, and obstacles like weirs remained barriers on their journey.
After years of feeding in the ocean, these salmon have an incredible ability to return hundreds of miles upstream to the same river stretch where they were born to breed and lay eggs. This epic migration is one of nature’s most famous journeys, and the people of Derbyshire are just beginning to witness it again.
“We’d started to see large salmon turning up in the Derwent in winter,” said Dr. Tim Jacklin, a Conservation Officer for the Wild Trout Trust. “They became local celebrities. People were out with head torches at night looking into the river because these fish, in a not particularly large watercourse, were literally as long as your arm.”
The return of the salmon was facilitated by a reduction in pollution and concerted efforts by wildlife organizations like the Wild Trout Trust and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. These groups worked to remove obstacles such as weirs and dams that had previously blocked the salmon’s passage to the upper stretches of the River Derwent and its tributary, the Ecclesbourne.
A key action was the removal of a weir at Snake Lane, which was replaced with boulders to create rapids, enabling the salmon to continue their journey upstream. “It’s very rewarding,” Jacklin said. “We opened up about ten kilometers of spawning habitat, which translates into hundreds more juvenile salmon making their way downstream and hopefully returning to spawn.”
Dam removal has become a common conservation practice in Europe and North America. Often, dams and weirs are outdated and expensive to demolish, but their removal can significantly restore natural habitats. In a landmark operation in the United States, millions of salmon are expected to return to ancestral spawning grounds with the planned demolition of three dams on the Klamath River.
The return of salmon to the River Derwent marks a significant step in Derbyshire’s ecological restoration, offering a renewed connection to the natural heritage of the region.
[Information sourced from Good News Network]
