A disused weir in Dumfriesshire has been successfully removed, opening up vital habitat for fish and showcasing a new technique for river restoration.
Experts had to avoid disturbing earthquake monitoring equipment when working to remove a disused weir from a Dumfriesshire river. The Davington Weir project is set to allow fish to thrive in both the Davington Burn and White Esk. The Eskdalemuir project was the last to be completed by the Water Environment Fund (WEF) team in 2024, with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) commissioning Ayrshire Rivers Trust (ART) to remove the weir before the winter weather set in.
SEPA’s river restoration specialist for WEF, Julia MacPherson, said: “The Davington Weir removal was a great project to work on because we were able to achieve positive improvements to the burn and surrounding area in a short space of time. The channels around the rock now allow fish to swim up through to the valuable upstream habitat giving our wild fish a better chance of thriving as the climate changes. “This project perfectly rounds off another productive year delivering WEF projects to communities across Scotland, showcasing a unique technique that has the potential to be used in other WEF projects in the future. It is a testament to the essential work SEPA support with WEF, enabling more rivers to be restored and reopened to fish across Scotland The work was carried out by ART working with a private landowner and the British Geological Survey (BGS). The weir was close to their geophysical station, used for monitoring global earthquakes and the earth’s magnetic field. As a result, heavy machinery couldn’t be used as the equipment is sensitive to vehicles and vibrations. Instead, SEPA and ART poured expanding grout into holes drilled into the weir – the first time this method had been used to remove a weir in Scotland. After leaving the grout to expand and weaken the concrete, ART removed the larger cracked pieces and then took meticulous care hand-drilling the remaining concrete from the weir, making it easier and quicker to remove from the watercours
WEIR REMOVAL FISH HABITAT SCOTLAND RIVER RESTORATION INNOVATION
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