Duffield weir removal to help salmon get to breeding ground

The weir is being removed and replaced with a ramp to allow fish to pass

A concrete weir is being removed from a river to allow salmon to return to breeding grounds for the first time in hundreds of years, a charity said.

Snake Lane weir, near the mouth of the River Ecclesbourne in Duffield, Derbyshire, will be replaced with a rock ramp fish pass.

It will form a series of downward steps spanning 120m (394ft) of the river.

The Wild Trout Trust, which is leading the project, said it would allow salmon and other fish to pass through it.

The work is expected to be completed by September

Dr Tim Jacklin, project manager at the trust, said: "The Ecclesbourne project builds on much hard work that has taken place to reopen our rivers to migratory fish, lost when migration routes were blocked with weirs following the Industrial Revolution.

"On the River Derwent, fish passes built in 2012-13 at Borrowash and Darley Abbey have allowed salmon to reach the river upstream of Derby and breed successfully.

"Salmon returning all the way from their ocean feeding grounds off Greenland now enter the River Ecclesbourne and swim through Duffield. Opening up Snake Lane weir will give them access to a further 10km of spawning and juvenile habitat."

Dr Jacklin said it was important that salmon could access as much of the river network as possible to maximise breeding opportunities.

The work, which is being funded by the Environment Agency, is expected to be completed by September.