Any of our eagle-eyed followers who have been up to Kirkton Weir or keeping track of the works via our Facebook page may have noticed some further works ongoing at the site this week. This was to install the baffles to break up the flow going down the pass making it easier for fish such as salmon, sea trout and brown trout to get above the weir.
On Monday 20th November the fish pass will be opened as the works close, allowing water to once again flow down the pass. We don’t know the exact time of the opening yet but we will post up on Monday morning once we know so that anyone who is interested to see this happen can come and watch. As part of this opening Luke from RiverLife: Almond & Avon will be onsite from 10am to answer any questions about the pass and the RiverLife project. He will be based at the viewing platform on the Almond Valley Heritage Centre side of the river which can be accessed from the layby or car park on Simpson Parkway.
Restoration of the river bank will
now take place with the construction access being removed and the bank
reprofiled.
This is the first of six weirs to be eased as part of the RiverLife: Almond
& Avon project. The other weirs will be completed over the course of the
next three years. Once all have been completed, migratory fish such as salmon
and sea trout will have the most access to the River Almond catchment since
these weirs were built 100-200 years ago.
A special thanks to Memsstar for allowing the project to access the site from their factory and Almond Valley Heritage Centre for being involved too.
RiverLife: Almond & Avon is funded by: Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) West Lothian Council The Scottish Government & The City of Edinburgh Council
