Habitat Schemes
Stock Beck 2010
Work was carried out at Stock Beck near Barnoldswick during 2010, but there’s still much more to do. In the past, the stream had been dredged, leaving behind an unnatural channel with a distinct lack of substrate and as such, its ecological status for fish had been deemed as ‘poor’ under the Water Framework Directive. After taking advice from the Wild Trout Trust, the Trust sourced large woody debris from the surrounding area and placed this at intervals along the stream. Limestone gravel from Wadington Fell Quarry was cleaned and tipped into the stream behind each section of woody debris in order to create gravel beds. This has provided much better conditions for spawning salmonids in Stock Beck in a bid to increase fish populations within the Ribble Catchment.
Barrow Brook 2010
Work was carried out at Barrow Brook near Whalley in 2010, where an excess of debris was blocking the channel and Himalayan Balsam (an invasive species) had taken over the banks. Himalayan Balsam flowers between June and October and produces seed pods that can scatter seeds for up to 7m. This extensive seed dispersal, coupled with high pollination levels means that it dominates other native plants and greatly decreases the biodiversity along the river banks. The Trust removed the Himalayan Balsam in an attempt to allow other species to grow, however this process needs to be repeated year after year due to the aggressive nature of the plant. In addition to the Balsam removal, the Trust cleared the debris from the brook and fenced off 650m of the bank to prevent stock access.
Before and after pictures
Easington 2010
Easington Brook flows through a lot of farmland. To prevent stock from gaining access to the stream, polluting the water and eroding the banks, we erected fencing. So that cattle still had access to drinking water, a solar powered drinking trough was installed that pumps water from the stream. Trees were also planted during March 2011 in order to create habitat for birds and mammals, and to provide cover for fish which is especially important when they are spawning. In addition, we erected two information signs so walkers using the area can read about the local wildlife and the work that we have done there to protect it. Many thanks to the Lancashire Environmental Fund who kindly granted us money to carry out this work.
Quaker Bridge 2010
Quaker Bridge is located on Pendle Water at Brierfield, close to the M65 motorway. The Trust discovered excessive amounts of bank erosion there, which can be detrimental to river life due to an overload of sediment entering the stream. To prevent further erosion, the trust istalled large limestone blocks into the bank and backfilled with gravel to prevent water from reaching behind the stone. Following this, the bank was fenced off to prevent cattle from entering the river. Woodland was planted in March 2011 comprising a mix of 700 native species of tree such as alder, birch, oak, ash and rowan. The woodland will provide shade for fish and also habitat for birds and other river-dwelling animals.
