How Yorkshire Water Are Helping To Preserve Wildlife In Yorkshire
Yorkshire Water is helping to improve fish preservation in the Yorkshire region by introducing three fish pass schemes. The first of the passes will be built at Langsett Reservoir which is located near the villages of Langsett and Upper Midhope, on the edge of the Peak District National Park. The reservoir was constructed between 1898 and 1904 and is managed by Yorkshire Water. The hope is that the new fish passes will hopefully bring new life to some of the hard to reach areas of the Little Don River. This is great news for the wildlife living in our region.
What is a Fish Pass?
Why the need for Fish Passes
Trout and salmon are genetically programmed to swim as far upstream as possible to breed, often to the exact place they were born. The fish passes will slow the water and create pools for the fish to jump into and rest in. This means that they will be able to move further up the river than they usually do thanks to three fish pass schemes funded by Yorkshire Water. This first stage of work at Langsett Reservoir is just the start and Yorkshire Water is working on a total of 14 new fish passes being built across the region between now and 2020. From 2015 to 2020 £15 million will be invested in fish passes and biodiversity projects across the region.
Why Wildlife Preservation is important to us
My Three and Me are huge fans of the outdoors, we often take our dogs for walks along our local rivers, canals and public footpaths. Matthew is a keen angler and although he doesn’t fish for trout or salmon at the minute (he is a carp angler) he says it is something he would like to try in the future. A few years ago James started fishing with his dad and he loves catching lots of different species. He has been taught how to fish safely and properly so that he knows how to treat the fish once they’ve been caught and how to release them safely once they are unhooked. We think it is also important that he learns about conservation in the environment where he fishes and we are always conscious that he never leaves anything behind. Giving the fish new places to breed means that in years to come there will be more fish in the rivers, this, in turn, will mean more wildlife will thrive in the area as they will have a plentiful food source. It is so important to look after our wildlife and ensure that they are around for future generations to enjoy too.
*Written in collaboration with Yorkshire Water*
