There’s no Salmon in those thar waters!!

April 6, 2009

A little later in the day than I try to post my blog for the previous week, but it’s been a busy morning!! Last week was quite event full, with more spawning, pollution and discoveries made.
Monday our normal brief with the Chairman took place, where we discussed the week ahead and week past. I was excited about the developments in our research for the off stream spawning channel. We also discussed works to protect a United Utilities pipe on Langden, which had resulted in an off stream channel being re opened, which we hope to keep open and provide more spawning habitat. A site visit later in the day unfortunately showed that the work had caused the channel to block again, but we are confident that as the works are complete and the contractors withdraw that they will re open it. I inspected the entrance to the fish-pass on Langden intake, which although perfect for sea trout, maybe a real challenge for salmon, which our electro fishing results seemed to confirm. We hope that we can work with UU and the EA to improve this. I also looked at the fish pass on the intake on the Losterdale, which seemed to have to much of a spread to create a good attraction flow, so yet another project for the trust to undertake there!! It is so funny when walking the losterdale I found three salmon, two pre spawners together, and another kelt. The kelt had his head under a stone and as I reached in to see if he was still alive, a farmer leaned over the wall behind me and said “what you doing”, I explained and he declared “I don’t think any salmon come up here, plenty of sea trout, too small for salmon” I lent back and then showed him the fish!! Just goes to show even those who live on the beck don’t always know whats in it!!

The intake on the Losterdale also traps gravel so we have yet more work there, and not far above the intake is another weir with as pass, that looks fine for sea trout, but very small for salmon, I hope to find out one way or the other later on this year when electro fishing.

Tuesday we had a site meeting for our latest Padiham proposal, which was very positive, fingers crossed on this!! I also worked on the Off stream spawning channel research proposal.

Wednesday we had another site meeting with a land agent for our project on Bezza Brook. It was really positive and we hope to move forward with this eel and coarse fish project in early summer this year if all consents are granted. However a huge dampener was put on the day when we took a detour on the way back to the office to show Stephen some pollution I had found. It turned out to be far worse than thought so we immediately rang it into the EA hotline having found who we think was the perpetrator. A site visit from the EA the next day seems to have started the ball rolling on recovery but we will watch this one closely.

Our new Newsletter was delivered, so Thursday we started distributing them to other trusts, partner organisations and supporters. Members will receive them shortly with there Chairman’s letter. One of our invertebrate monitoring volunteers had flagged up a decrease in the invert population on Mearly brook so we made a visit and, it seems as though there is some sewage getting in, a strong smell of thinners, and that the CSO had been operating. The CSO is a permitted discharge but the thinners and sewage was reported to the EA and we wait to see what is found. We got some positive feed back on the Holden pollution from the previous week, a sock had blocked a pipe, causing a back up and sewage to escape, this has been rectified and pollution stopped. It’s great when the system works!!

Friday was more work to the Website, and costing some projects, followed by a site visit to Dunsop Spawning channels, and we found fish in the Channels STILL!! It really is incredible. We also found a Kelt, once again with it’s adipose intact.

Sunday I was doing a training walk for a sponsored walk I am doing in May, and we were walking the Ribble way at Calder foot and I found a kelt in excess of 40 inches, this is an enormous fish, and I only wish I had my kit to take a scale sample and my camera!! I was not looking for kelts and found in excess of a dozen. At the end of this walk (20 miles!) I came accross what looked like a leaking septic tank which was draining into the road drains and then I believe into Bushburn Brook, so this has been reported to the EA and RFCA. You really do have to keep your eyes open in this job!!

Posted by Charles Edward Poate | Filed Under General News, Inhabitants of the River, Restoration and Conservation Projects, Threats to the River 

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