The Lugg & Arrow, Leader +
Herefordshire Rivers LEADER+ Programme:
A Fisheries Improvement Scheme
The essential features of the project were:
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Engaging with local people and explaining the importance of their rivers, the problems affecting them and the value their rivers bring.
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Restoring and correcting some of the factors that limit Lugg and Arrow fisheries - fish passes and habitat restoration.
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Education - salmon in the classroom. Reared salmon were released by children at various local schools into the Arrow to help restore the run, a useful introduction to biology. This was in combination with the removal of obstructions to migration. The four schools involved in this aspect of the project were: Kingsland CE School; Kington Primary School; Marden Primary and Pembridge Primary School.
At the outset, we identified a need for fencing on some of the lowland tributaries where excessive stock poaching and grazing was causing a serious siltation problem. Our efforts to tackle this put us in direct conflict with the Lugg Internal Drainage Board, whose prime objective is not principally concerned with the good ecological status of the streams in their domain.
Weirs were originally constructed for many reasons ranging from providing water power and irrigation, via a series of carriers, to flood and erosion prevention. Many are either an intrinsic part of the Herefordshire countryside and still functional and so removal is either too costly or unacceptable. Fortunately, providing fish access does not necessarily require this as there are simpler ways using the natural ability of salmonids to ascend obstacles by fitting fish passes on the weirs or by using existing leats to bypass the weir.
14 fish access schemes have been completed to ease upstream movement. Where EAW is the weir owner, they have led the work and WUF has taken the lead on privately owned structures.
On the Lugg the project has completed fish passes on Yatton Court, Ballsgate and upper Lye weirs and there have been alterations to the blockstone weirs at Crowards, Coxall and Eyton. This takes forward the work done with the fish passes at Leominster and Hampton Court built prior to the project. Salmon now have access to the Welsh headwaters for the first time in at least 30 years.
On the Arrow, fish passes have been installed on Grove Farm weir and bypass channels re-established on Mowley, Hunton and Malhollam. In addition, obstructions have been eased on the Stansbach stream, an important trout spawning stream.
At Folly farm and Glanarrow weirs, structural surveys, planning, listed building and flood risk management consents have been obtained and fish passes "built". However, the high flows of summer 2007 delayed the final "bolting down". These will now be installed in the spring of 2008 at the Foundation's expense.
Access and Economics
As with all schemes to enhance the natural environment, encouraging people to enjoy, appreciate, use but above all share concern for the rivers must be accompanied by raising awareness of the opportunities available balanced against the threats facing the rivers.
The inclusion of sections of the Herefordshire Lugg and Arrow in the Wye and Usk Passport has proved to be a great success. The booklet detailing the scheme now has a circulation of over 10,000 and the availability of Herefordshire's natural resource and the Leader + Project work is a feature of the publication.
The 2006 edition of the passport included 2 Arrow beats which brought in 122 rod days. In 2007 the Passport expanded with the inclusion of 7 more Lugg and Arrow fisheries and in total they generated 278 visits. Surveys in both 2006 and 2007 within the Passport showed that 64% of the rod days were associated with a least 1 nights accommodation within the county. In 2008 a further 4 fisheries joined the scheme and early sales of vouchers in 2008 are showing considerable growth (137% over the first 2 months). It is anticipated that these beats will accommodate in excess of 800 rod days in 2008.
The overall growth of the passport scheme is shown in below
Acknowledgements:
We would like to thank the Team at Herefordshire Rivers under Dawn Turner who has provided essential support and encouragement, with the absolute minimum of time consuming bureaucracy and with a very large measure of understanding.
The Environment Agency: Pete Gough and Chris Rees for managing their respective schemes: Fish passes and Salmon in the Classroom
The Lugg and Arrow Fisheries Association (LAFA) for their tireless support, both financial and on site, under the direction of WUF trustee Tony Norman, LAFA committee and chairman, David Forbes
The Wye Salmon Fishery Owners Association for their essential financial support
And the people of Herefordshire for the many words of support and encouragement
| Outputs | Target | Achieved | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community groups/trusts/forums established or assisted | Y | Y | Lugg and Arrow Fisheries Association, Bulmer foundation, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust. |
| Environmental / cultural appraisals carried out | 6 | 9 | Riparian habitat and access surveys of main stems and 7 principal tributaries |
| Community environmental / cultural activities established or assisted | 1 | 1 | Fishing on the rivers of Herefordshire has thrived as a direct consequence of the work of this project |
| Environmental advice or assistance facilities provided for business | 20+ | 18 | Success here has been limited due to the IDB Issues; however landowners associated with key demonstration/exemplar sites are perfect examples of the wider success that could be achieved. |
| Information facilities provided | 3 | 3 | WUF website content, display material, landowner leaflets |
| Sites made available for tourism activity | 4+ | 11 | New fishing beats have been a major success story of the Project with 11 new beats in the 2008 WUF Passport and Booking Office Schemes |
| Number of community initiatives developed | 1 | 2 | Community engagement in the river through the passport scheme, Riverfly monitoring scheme |
| Result (as a result of your outputs quoted) | Target | Achieved | Comments |
| People involved in groups / trusts / forums on activities | 50 | 50+ | With the growing awareness of issues within the River Lugg and Arrow the numbers achieved are only a fraction of the overall awareness.
Lugg and Arrow Fisheries Association A new Riverfly Group is being established by local groups including secondary schools, The issue of raising issue |
| People involved in studies or appraisals | 250 | 287 | Surveys, LAFA investigations, School programme, Talk on L+ and restoring Lugg and Arrow to Hereford nature group 30th Oct, 49 present. Talk to IDB 10th October- How they are destroying the Lugg and how they can change, went down surprisingly well!, Severn River Basin Liaison Pannel |
| People undertaking enhancement projects | 30 | 44 | Please refer to issues considered under the Environmental schemes. |
| People participating in local cultural and recreational events or festivals | 150+ | 230+ | 4 River walks, field visits with local groups |
| New environmental interpretation points established | 6 | 0 | A decision was taken not to produce interpretation points, but to concentrate efforts on the production of appropriate training/educational material this includes a landowner leaflet and information boards to be used at specific events. |
| Area of land demonstrating improved environmental management (in hectares) | 40+ | Unkown | Due to issues including the IDB, this target should be considered in a different way. With the delivery of the fish passes during 2006 and 2007 (and those outstanding) the whole of the Lugg and Arrow catchments have been opened up for species access significantly increasing the habitat available. |
| Environmental enhancements on historic and cultural features completed | 4 | 14 | Fish passes. This figure exceeds the target due to the issues of delivering the environmental/habitat enhancement as outlined earlier. |
Budget
| INCOME | |
|---|---|
| Leader Plus | £98,618 |
| E A Contribution | £70,000 |
| WUF Contribution | £9,086 |
| TOTAL | £177,704 |
| EXPENDITURE | |
| Fish Pass & Fencing etc | £73,774 |
| Education boards & Equip | £7,870 |
| Salaries (inc Education Officer) | £76,337 |
| Professional Fees | £138 |
| Travel (project staff) | £6,653 |
| Marketing & Publicity | £7,233 |
| Office costs | £4,026 |
| Materials (stationery etc) | £335 |
| Survey costs | £1,080 |
| Hatchery costs | £258 |
| TOTAL | £177,704 |