End of 2009 at the Trust
December 18, 2009
Today is our last day in the office for 2 whole weeks. We have had a busy year, and it’s going to get busier next year, so a two week break is exactly what is in order. Currently sat inside with my coat on staring at the snow I hope that the weather continues like this for another month or so to give our fish and their soon to be laid eggs a chance! A little like last year basically would be brilliant. Plus a quite fancy a white xmas!
This week has flown by, with Monday being taken up by Land Drainage Consents, a consultation on Water Related Recreation strategies and looking at the new Agri-environment schemes coming out in 2010. We managed a short trip out to a nearby beck, that was very fruitful, although we saw no actual spawning on this beck we did see 4 salmon holed up in deep pool. We also found a dead hen fish, which was well eaten, and it was hard to tell if it was post or pre spawning, we hoping for the best though.
Tuesday I was out with Lancashire Fly Fishing Association up at Newton, where between 9 of us we planted, staked, and sheltered 100 English alder of 8ft in height. These have been planted along the banks of the worst section of main river on the entire catchment. We at the Trust have for years been trying to persuade the farmer to allow us to fence it off to create a habitat scheme, but he doesn’t like the idea. However Jim Dewhurst of LFFA managed to persuade him to let LFFA plant these trees. It is a starting point and hopefully it will lead to improved banks with the erosion and sediment.
Wednesday I was out with a Student who is doing their dissertation on the WFD and as a case study Grindleton Fell and it’s streams. I took him to several barriers to migration, poor habitat, good habitat, and we discussed the failures of the River Basin Management Plans. During this outing I was down on Whalley road looking at Standen Brook, which has an impassable weir under the bridge on Whalley Road. I looked around and noticed that the old mill lodge had been completely cleaned out, and the for sale sign has disappeared. So I can only assume someone has taken on the site with some development plans. Stephen and I will be quick to remind the planners that they have the power to make the developers contribute to the environment. So we would press for the removal of the weir under Whalley Rd, to allow fish passage and redistribution of substrate. Once that’s done there is just one more weir on the stream between there and Pendle Hill! In the afternoon, we worked on Project bids for, Eel beck, Hodder Flow gauging weir and Barrowford “3″ weir.
Thursday Philip came in for a meeting and progress update. Which went well, and then was the first Trust Xmas party. We had several colleagues from the EA with us and a very good time was had by all. Feeling a little delicate this morning… but Philip was surprised that we looked so pumped up and full of energy, when he dropped in unexpectedly! Well here’s to everyone, a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year, I look forward to working with many of you in 2010
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