Image description: An Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) jumps out of the water at the Shrewsbury Weir on the River Severn in an attempt to move upstream to spawn. Shropshire, England. Image by Kevin.
Major river restoration projects are proposed at two sites in Devon. A project is proposed for land adjoining the River Yeo at Mornacott Farm, near South Molton, in a bid to restore natural floodplain processes, boost biodiversity and improve water quality.
A separate scheme initiated by the National Trust is moving forward with plans to install a fish and eel pass at Arlington Court in North Devon, opening up over six kilometres of the River Yeo to endangered Atlantic salmon and European eel for the first time in nearly 200 years. The project forms part of a wider initiative, Arlington Lake Reimagined, which will re-create a more natural river channel within the old lake basin.
Damming of the river
The river Yeo at Arlington Court was dammed in the 1820s and a lake was created by flooding fields tenanted by the local blacksmith Edward Delve. The lake was extended in the 1850s when the existing dam was built. Since then the north part of the lake basin has silted up and become an important wet woodland habitat for rare lichen.
The decision to re-open the river follows decades of siltation that has significantly reduced the lake’s surface area, with only around 10% of the original water body remaining today.
New fish pass
The new fish and eel pass will allow migratory species to reach historic spawning grounds upstream, while the reimagined river channel will stabilise sediment, reduce downstream pollution risk, and improve aquatic habitats.
The project also aims to protect the rare lichen-rich wet woodland in the northern lake basin, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and will include monitoring and mitigation to maintain the delicate conditions required by these internationally important species. Existing wildlife habitats will be enhanced and new habitat created with an ambition to reintroduce water voles.
The project has been developed following extensive consultation and guidance from professional bodies including Natural England, Historic England, the Environment Agency, Devon Gardens Trust, and North Devon Council. It has also been shaped by feedback from local communities and ecological specialists, including the West Country Rivers Trust.
Mornacott Farm proposals
A separate proposal at Mornacott Farm near South Molton, includes works to create a new linking channel to carry flows from the River Yeo into a network of swales and wetlands before feeding into a restored pond. The pond, once stocked with non-native carp, has already been cleared of invasive fish and material excavated during the works will be reused to soften pond banks or spread on nearby land to aid drainage and ecological recovery.
Oxygen Conservation Ltd has applied for permission to carry out a series of engineering works, including the removal of a stone track, regrading of an artificial pond, and excavation of a swale and shallow scrapes to re-connect the river with its historic floodplain.
As reported by Devon Live, planning application will be considered by the local authority in line with North Devon and Torridge Local Plan policies, which support developments delivering biodiversity net gain and climate resilience.