River Don salmon return for 'first time in 200 years'

Masbrough Weir is the last of 18 obstructions along the River Don that have been made passable

A fish pass allowing salmon to return and reach spawning grounds in Sheffield for the first time in 200 years has been completed.

The construction on Masbrough Weir, at Forge Island in Rotherham, means the fish can move freely up and down the River Don from the North Sea.

The Environment Agency said it would lead to "a sustainable population".

Salmon were caught in the river near Doncaster in the early 1990s. Last year an adult fish was found near Sheffield.

Masbrough Weir is the last of 18 obstructions along the River Don that have been made passable during a 20-year project involving the agency, Don Catchment Rivers Trust, Canal and River Trust, Yorkshire Water and local authorities.

Anthony Downing, Environment Agency's catchment co-ordinator for the Don and Rother, said the "entire migratory route" had opened up with the recent installation of a fish pass on Sanderson's Weir, in Sheffield.

"Hopefully we will now see a sustainable salmon population in the River Don after an absence of around 200 years," he said.

"Not only will salmon benefit from the fish passes but many can be used by other species, increasing connectivity and benefiting other wildlife in the river corridor."

Yorkshire Water said sightings of salmon during the 1990s had "set the wheels in motion" for the scheme.

Rachel Walker, project manager at Don Catchment Rivers Trust, said: "I can't imagine a tougher set of circumstances for building a fish pass, but we're there now, and we are very proud that the River Don is coming back to life.

"If there is one thing we have learnt during the lockdown, it's that people need access to the natural environment for their well-being."