Fishy Success at Whit Beck!

21st July 2015 - Derwent Catchment

High numbers of fish have been found at Whit Beck almost a year after we restored the channel from 350m of straightened and canalised beck to over 1.2km of natural winding channel.  

Recent monitoring done in partnership with the University of Aberystwyth has revealed very high densities of young trout and salmon (fry) in the new channel, highlighting just what a success the project has been.  These small fish were laid as eggs by adult trout and salmon during autumn last year and have now hatched out and are thriving in the habitat available in the new section of channel.  

Identifying, counting and measuring fish

We at West Cumbria Rivers Trust, together with our project partners the Environment Agency and Natural England are absolutely delighted with the numbers of fish, which not only include trout and salmon, but lampreys, eels and stickleback too.  

Of course it’s not all about the fish either; together with the fish surveys, invertebrate surveys, morphological surveys (channel shape) and plant surveys are all in the process of being undertaken which should show just how much biodiversity and habitat features this new channel now has.  Great news all round!


Before RestorationAfter Restoration