Gravel project is a leap forward for Cumbria’s salmon

21st December 2013 - Derwent Catchment

A Cumbrian beck is looking forward to the splash of tiny fins after a successful environmental project.

Experts say salmon and trout are spawning more and more in tiny Naddle Beck, near Keswick, thanks to a scheme to re-introduce gravel beds.

Gravel plays a vital part in a salmon’s lifecycle because it’s where their eggs are laid. But the Naddle’s limited natural supply coupled with dredging in previous years left it depleted and much had washed away.

Now West Cumbria Rivers Trust has teamed up with the Environment Agency and landowner Richard Allan to help return Naddle Beck to being a healthy underwater maternity unit again.

Since adding almost 250 tonnes of mixed riverine gravels at strategic places in summer, a total of 18 salmon and trout redds – the name given to spawning nests – have been counted along a 500m stretch of river.

Project manager for WCRT Ian Creighton said: “The Naddle is a tributary of the River Greta and is environmentally significant as an aquatic habitat, especially for species like Atlantic salmon. It’s also part of the protected Derwent Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and, in places, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

“Traditionally it has been an ideal place for salmon to spawn, but over the years fishermen have told us that they have seen fewer and fewer redds. Our job at WCRT is to improve the overall health of our amazing rivers in west Cumbria so it was a project where we thought we could make a real difference.”

With help from the Environment Agency’s field team, who brought the gravel to site and placed it at strategic points where it was least likely to get washed away, trust workers managed to install 11 strips of gravel up to 20cm deep, which is ideal for spawning.

“It seems to have worked well, especially for the salmon, as 11 of the 18 redds we’ve spotted so far are salmon redds,” said Ian, who is based at the trust’s offices near Thirlmere.

The project will also see native trees and shrubs planted on the banks of Naddle Beck this winter. Conservationists hope this will help stabilise the banks and improve habitats even more.

“We are a charity which relies entirely on grants and donations to fund our work and we couldn’t achieve anything without the help of partners like the Environment Agency and landowners like Richard. We are absolutely delighted with the success of this project. Hopefully it will provide the means for the salmon and trout to spawn for many years to come,” said Ian.