2023 Main Salmon Run Has Been Cancelled!

[Wildfisher]

I was down the local river yesterday for a post-flood walk. I was astonished at what I found. Near the waste water treatment plant an incoming  pipe crosses the river on stilts / towers. Beneath the pipe a massive concrete walkway has been moved by the sheer force of the flood and behind it trees, logs and other debris has completely blocked the river and preventing fish migration. No trout, sea trout or salmon will get past this point. And this is just the start. More floods are forecast later this week and in my opinion the sewage pipe may be at risk. Any leak will be a disaster for the river.

I have submitted a report to SEPA, let's hope it is not met with sloping shoulders as this infrastructure belongs to Scottish Water. I chose SEPA as this is a general environmental risk. They  can sort it out.  We shall see.


This is yet another example of having anglers active in the community. Who else is interested enough to have an eye for such matters?  Who would even bother to be there?

[burnie]

Like you say Fred, they will have to be quick before the next floods, not checked the lower beat of the river.

[Hill loch gold]

Some mess there Fred. That will take a bit of clearing!

[Wildfisher]

Will need tractors and chains Alan. The farmer there is not best friends of the angling club  so I would not expect much help from that quarter. This is a disaster for the salmon that have been showing some signs of recovery in recent years. The spawning grounds are well upstream of that blockage.

[Laxdale]

The fishery board should have been informed as soon as you found that. The farmer will help if he is paid to help.....

[Wildfisher]

I've emailed Tom the link

[SoldierPmr]

From previous experience. If it a low risk flood area it will take a back step until the higher risk maintenance areas are complete. They should have in house equipment to deal with this as it's only a days work. Excavators with a thumb and chainsaw operators.

[Wildfisher]

The fisheries board has been informed and still no response from SEPA.

I was back down this morning and every is as was. More big floods forecast from mid-week on. Can you imagine the force required to do this? That concrete walkway is massive. Scary!

[Fishtales]

The footbridge across the river here was hit by a tree like that and it now has a dip and a bend in it. The upright it hit is a steel h beam as far as I can remember. If I am down that way this week I will get a photograph.

[Fishtales]

Pictures of the footbridge which crosses the big river and the small one across a small burn, the water was flowing over the top of that one