SCOTTISH Water has completed a £100,000 project to help improve the water environment for fish at Loch Venachar.
The work included a number of enhancements to an existing Victorian fish pass, which saw the installation of timber baffles in the spill channel at the reservoir’s dam to break up the water flow and aid the fish in leaping across the dam spillway as they make their way upstream from the River Teith.
Because the dam has Category-A listed status, Scottish Water brought in a team of experts to oversee the work and ensure the improvements for fish passage didn’t compromise the existing structures or detract from their historic value.
The project was delivered by contractors George Leslie, with design input from Mott MacDonald.
Alexander Young, senior project manager, said, “The team has worked really well together and we’ve delivered this project with full respect for the local environment, using materials and methods that ensured there was no negative impact on the watercourse.
“During this project, we’ve been working closely with SEPA to make sure this infrastructure delivers the best results possible for the salmon and sea trout migrating up-river from the sea at the Forth Estuary to spawn.”
Nathan Critchlow-Watton, water and land Manager at SEPA, added, “We are pleased to see Scottish Water complete its project to improve fish passage in Loch Venachar. Salmon is an iconic species for Scotland, and this work will contribute to an increase in the number of fish spawning successfully, as well as an improvement in the welfare of the fish.”
