Historic weir could be removed to help fish
PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE RIVER DOVE’S BIODIVERSITY BUT CONCERNS ARE RAISED OVER FLOODING RISKS
AN HISTORIC South Derbyshire weir could be removed to allow fish to swim upstream with greater ease – raising questions over potential “adverse” flooding risks.
Councillor Lisa Brown, who represents Egginton on South Derbyshire District Council, is to ask whether farmers and landowners could be hit by proposals to dispense with Dove Cliff Weir.
People who live or work close to the weir, in Egginton – whose underlying timbers are thought to date back to medieval times – are now being invited to find out more about the Environment Agency’s plans for the structure tomorrow.
Bosses from the agency said that the scheme, planned to start next summer, will improve biodiversity on the River Dove, create better connectivity with the River Trent downstream and along the entire Dove catchment and will assist fish as they migrate both in and out of the Dove.
They said the weir is currently a major barrier to fish as they enter the River Dove and removing it will allow many more fish to move upstream with greater ease, opening up more than 30 miles of migratory habitat for fish and other species.
People are being invited to a drop-in event at the Dovecliff Hall Hotel, in Dovecliff Road, Burton, tomorrow, from 2pm to 7pm, to speak to Environment Agency staff in order to find out more about the scheme and give their feedback.
Chris Grzesiok, fisheries technical specialist for the Environment Agency, said: “Removing Dove Cliff Weir will help fish to be able to move freely in the River Dove, making it far easier for fish to reach their spawning grounds. “This will be a fantastic benefit to the chub, barbel and dace living in the river, and will be a great step forward for the population of Atlantic salmon which is slowly recovering in the river too. “Dove Cliff Weir greatly affects the character of the river both above and below it; once removed the river will restore itself to a more natural environment, providing a wide range of habitats for the wildlife that depends on healthy rivers to thrive.”
But South Derbyshire District Councillor Lisa Brown said she was keeping an open mind about the plans but had many questions that needed to be answered.
She said: “I don’t know an awful lot about the plans yet but I am hoping that is all going to be revealed at the consultation on the River Dove. I shall certainly be attending. “From my point of view I believe that the weir has some historic significance and it was originally made out of timber before they made it out of stone. “It is a very ancient structure. Underneath there is still timber which I think goes back to medieval times. “There were lots of repairs in the early 19th century. It is quite an historical landmark and we need to see what