Welsh salmon are leaping for joy today (01 July) after the completion of three new river improvement projects.
The three fish passage improvement schemes on the Nant Myddyfi will help the salmon swim upstream more easily to reach their traditional spawning areas, boosting fish stocks in the river.
The projects on the Bryn y Cadno culvert have been undertaken through the collaboration of The Carmarthenshire Rivers Trust (CRT), Environment Agency Wales (EAW), Carmarthenshire County Council (CCC) and energy infrastructure company, National Grid.
Previously, the Bryn y Cadno culvert was extremely difficult for migratory fish to negotiate during times of low water. Now, thanks to the construction of three stone barrages down stream, the water level can rise, while the culvert foundations remained undisturbed. The work will improve the salmon’s migratory passage, and be of long-term benefit to securing a healthy fish population in the Nant Myddyfi's catchment.
The Nant Myddyfi is a small, but important, 8km spawning and nursery tributary rising near Llyn Taliaris, before flowing through rich countryside and joining the River Towy at Golden Grove, below Llandeilo. In the Myddyfi's upper reaches, migratory fish movements have been restricted by three man-made obstructions. These have now been modified to improve fish passage and allow the full use of the catchment for spawning.
CRT chairman Gethyn Thomas said: “We're very grateful to National Grid for their financial and moral support in making these joint projects a success. It has allowed us to deliver the work, an EAW top priority, within the time-scales, as well as completing further work on the River Ydw, near Myddfai.
“The Carmarthenshire Rivers Trust was formed in the autumn of 2007, and was granted full charitable status in January 2009, thanks to the delivery of these projects. We will always be indebted to EAW, CCC and National Grid for their support in these early days. The Trust's mission is to restore and safeguard the environment and habitat for all animals that depend on the rivers, lakes and wetlands of Carmarthenshire,” Gethyn continued.
National Grid's senior project manager, Martin Kinsey said: “These projects have been a real success. Throughout the planning and construction of the Milford Haven natural gas pipeline projects National Grid and its team of environmentalists have worked very closely with the Carmarthenshire Rivers Trust. The work is a great credit to the Trust, whose members have put so much voluntary time and effort into the project. We are delighted to help support this important improvement work and reinforce our commitment to the environment and the communities in which we work.”
Dave Charlesworth, EAW Sustainable Fisheries Project Manager said: “The Environment Agency Wales is very pleased to be working with the Carmarthenshire Rivers Trust and National Grid in the delivery of these three fish passage improvements on the Nant Myddyfi catchment. The work will have long-term sustainable benefits for a healthy fish population. This will allow for the sustainable development of angling and angling tourism in Carmarthenshire, bringing economic benefits to local communities.”
In addition to the Nant Myddyfi fish passage projects, National Grid funded a fish passage project on the Llangadog Bran (near Myddfai) and supported the CRT's successful application for grant funding for river habitat enhancement works at six locations within the Towy catchment through EAW's Habitat Challenge Scheme.
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For further media information please contact Caroline Davidson, National Grid on 07785 254696