Fish pass to aid stock recovery

The pass will allow fish such as salmon to swim upstream

A special device which allows fish to swim upstream is being built on a County Durham river.

The Environment Agency has given the go-ahead for the structure on the River Browney, a major tributary of the Wear, at Wall Nook Dam, Langley Park.

Upstream of the dam is an ideal spawning area for salmon and trout, and important nursery grounds for other species such as lamprey and eels.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of August.

'Impassable' barrier

The fish pass used at Wall Nook Dam includes a series of baffles placed within a concrete channel, that reduce the velocity of water to a level that salmon, sea trout and brown trout can swim through.

There will also be a separate lamprey and elver pass to allow such important and threatened species access upstream.

On the River Wear, sea trout and salmon populations have shown a dramatic recovery since the 1960's particularly as water quality improved.

Antony Sykes, fisheries technical officer at the Environment Agency said: "We are delighted to see the works going ahead.

"Wall Nook Dam has been an impassable major barrier to the passage of many important fish species.

"We hope that the extra habitat opened up for salmon and sea trout will further strengthen the recovery of these species in the River Wear."