New project could see salmon return to Wigan town centre

The fish passes allow the salmon to swim upstream

It is hoped salmon will return to a town's waters for the first time in 200 years thanks to a special project.

For centuries the River Douglas in Wigan was home to the likes of salmon and sea trout - but their path has been blocked by a series of weirs built during the industrial revolution.

The new project has installed seven fish passes to bypass the weirs and allow the species to return.

The OUR Douglas scheme has also involved completely removing one weir.

Some of the funding came after water company United Utilities was fined more than £600,000 for a chemical spill from a sewage works near Horwich in 2016.

Guy Mason, from the project, said: "A fish pass is essentially a ladder and the water tumbles down it like a natural river, so the fish are able to swim upstream.

"This is a massive game-changer. Its opening up 21 miles (35 km) of habitat for fish that wasn't there before."

Gathurst Weir on the River Douglas in Wigan, near Appley Bridge before the fish pass was built

Other funding for the changes has come from the environmental charity Groundwork and the European Regional Development Fund.

Adam Walmsley, from the Ribble Rivers Trust, said: "This should be a huge boost for wildlife. Improving the connectivity of the river should benefit the whole ecology of the river.

"Herons, kingfishers and otters should all benefit from this. Potentially, it could mean salmon in Wigan town centre, which is a huge achievement."

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, migrating fish like salmon and sea trout have been thriving in Rivers Mersey, Goyt and Bollin for almost 25 years thanks to similar conservation efforts.

Mike Duddy from the Salford Friendly Anglers Society, said: "Salmon started to reappear in the River Mersey in 1999 and they are now going right up the River Goyt towards Marple Bridge. It's brilliant to see."

Further ahead, its hoped salmon could even return to Manchester city centre.

That would require a fish-pass at the Mode Wheel Locks on the Manchester Ship Canal, next to Media City.

Mr Duddy said: "Within hours of that fish pass being opened at Salford Quays, we would have salmon in Manchester city centre for the first time since 1856.

"The salmon are knocking on the door. We just need to open it for them."