Preparing for the removal of a weir on a tributary of the River Annan, south west Scotland.
The River Annan is one of the larger river catchments in Dumfries and Galloway, south west Scotland. The Annan rises in the hills north of Moffat and flows south for roughly 90 km before entering the Solway Firth at Annan. Land use is typically moorland sheep grazing and commercial conifer plantations in the upper catchment, with more productive farmland in the lower reaches, largely used for livestock grazing and arable.
The main river supports an important salmon, trout and grayling fishery. The River Annan has been defined by the Scottish Government as Category 3 for its Atlantic salmon population, meaning it is struggling to be sustainable in the long term and requires intervention. The River Annan and its tributaries support a wide range of wildlife including otters, kingfishers and herons.
| Project status | Live |
|---|---|
| Project type | Dam removal: pre-demolition |
| Country | Scotland, United Kingdom |
| River | Water of Milk |
| Focal species | Atlantic salmon |
| Organisation | Galloway Fisheries Trust |
| Website | gallowayfisheriestrust.org |
The Water of Milk is an important tributary of the River Annan with approximately 50 km of watercourses. Water quality is classed as high but downgraded to poor due to fish barriers. There are two redundant weirs which are in poor condition. Fish passage over these barriers is problematic and salmonids are regularly trapped downstream with limited opportunity to access upstream habitats. Electrofishing surveys found higher densities of fish downstream of the barriers compared to upstream.
These structures interfere with natural processes and impact hydromorphology, causing sediment retention upstream, downstream scour and erosion, wider ecological impacts, and altered flow patterns. A particular concern is that these structures are beginning to deteriorate, with unknown future impacts. Ensuring that salmon and trout can access all available high quality habitat, such as that found in the upper Water of Milk, is a priority.
This project supports wider ambitions to restore river habitats across the Annan catchment, increase biodiversity, improve water quality, build climate resilience, and involve local communities. Galloway Fisheries Trust is working with a range of partners to deliver an ambitious programme of restoration projects.
Removal of the lower weir, which is the focus of this project, will open up approximately 6 km of river to migratory salmonids, enabling access to high quality upstream habitats. This will encourage wider ecological recovery and contribute to improving the ecological status of the river.
The project will also reduce ongoing geomorphological impacts associated with the structure, including sediment trapping and erosion. Future project phases will explore the feasibility of removing the upstream weir to deliver further benefits.
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