Derbyshire Wildlife Trust completes salmon habitat restoration project.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has completed a two-year river restoration project aimed at reintroducing Atlantic salmon to the River Ecclesbourne, where the species has been absent for nearly a century.
The project involved re-meandering a 400-metre stretch of the river near the site of the former Postern Mill in Turnditch, Derbyshire, to bypass the last remaining weir and restore natural flow conditions. The new channel is expected to open access to over 28km of river and tributaries for fish migration, according to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
The river’s course had been diverted in the 18th century to support milling, creating a barrier to upstream fish movement. A 2020 assessment by the Wild Trout Trust identified the Ecclesbourne as having significant potential for fish spawning, but noted that artificial barriers and water quality issues limited its ecological health.
Partners in the project include Chatsworth, part of the Devonshire Group. The intervention forms part of a broader programme to improve the water quality and ecological status of the river, which had been classified as “moderate” under the Water Framework Directive.
Jennifer Kril, living rivers officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said the works had restored natural processes and improved habitats for fish and invertebrates, while also engaging local communities in river conservation.
The River Ecclesbourne joins the River Derwent near Duffield.
