River Don clean-up

[craigmason 10]

Got some info if anybody wants to lend a hand on a river clean up on the river don

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=d79a0f097f&view=att&th=1206cd890179758c&attid=0.2&disp=vah&zw

 

also new fishing club

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=d79a0f097f&view=att&th=1206cd890179758c&attid=0.1&disp=vah&zw

[taxman 12]

Can't access those links without signing up for google mail

[craigmason 10]

Ok for those who do not have google mail i have cut and pasted it

 

River Don Clean-up

 

Dear All

 

After quite a long and laboured start, it looks as if S.P.R.I.T.E is finally up and running. The fishing section is being formed, exhibitions and walks for various initiatives are being manned and funding for certain projects are being applied for.

 

One of our core businesses is the cleaning of the River Don, initially from Hillfoot Bridge upstream to the Winn Gardens estate. We are holding the initial clean up of No 1 section commencing at 10.00 on the 2nd My2009 and finishing at 15.00. Number 1 section as I like to call it, is from Hillfoot Bridge to the first weir (Sandbed). Not only will the river be cleaned but also the surrounding areas. Protective equipment will be supplied.

 

I am praying for fine weather and a good turnout of people, please come ready for a hard days graft and dressed accordingly. Bring wellies and waders if you have them.

 

Just a note on how I see the other cleanups going.

 

* Section 2 from weir to the silver mill 13th June.

* Section 3 from above the industrial estate to Coopers Bridge.

* Section 4Coopers Bridge to Penistone Road.

* Section 5 Penistone Road to Leppings Lane.

* Section 6 Leppings Lane to Winn Gardens.

 

For sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, the dates will be confirmed at a later date.

 

Please pass this information on to any other person that may be interested in helping with the river corridor.

 

Cheers and thanks

 

 

New Fishing Club

 

Hi

 

Well, we have finally managed to get things moving on the River Don fishing front. A meeting has been arranged at 7.30 p.m April 20th 2009 at the Hillsborough Hotel. The Hotel is located at Langsett Road/Wood St. Sheffiled6. There is ample parking space on Wood St. The Tram stop is Primrose Hill and a map is attached. It has been agreed if anyone is under 18 they will be admitted (normal licensing rules apply). An agenda has not been formulated, but things to be discussed are.

 

* the name of the club

* the aims and objectives

* how is it to be funded

* rules of the fishery.

 

 

 

 

I imagine other questions will arise; hopefully they will be addressed and answered. I am looking forward to meeting you on the evening and if anyone wants to bring any other interested parties, feel free to do so.

 

This initiative is both exciting and initiative,it will reap untold benefits to the River Don. All persons are welcome. Can you please inform me by phone or e-mail whether you will be attending.

 

Hope to see you on the night

[depoix 11]

ive fished this strech of the DON for years as have many locals,our one fear was that someone would come along and start a club,now im all in favour of people out fishing for the day but i have found that once a club gets started they tend to think they own all the fishing rights and start putting "private fishing,members only" signs up on the bank,this is bound to end in confrontations if they do,as for the clean up,it's not that bad when you get out to where beeley woods are,the natural growth on the bank gives the animals and the fish some protection as many swims are unfishable,i would hate to see the DON commercialised

 

there are kingfishers,otters,ducks geese and herons using the upper reaches,too much attention will drive them away and everyone,not only the angler will lose out on the natural beauty of the river and its wildlife

 

could i also add that s p r i t e do not apear to have thought this out properly,the clean up is to take place in may ? every angler knows that from march until june the rivers are left alone,as it is the spawning period for fish,any clean up or wading around in a river at this time of year can be very detrimental to the fish that are laying eggs on the weeds and the river bottom,it would be akin to demolishing the maternity ward at jessops hospital whilst women were in tabor and could effect the future stock of fish in the river, they can not simply swim out of the way due to the weirs,the clean up would be far better done in the autumn when damage to the ecology would be far less harmful ,s p r i t e need to do their homework before deciding on such ideas in the future to prevent harm and damage to the ecology of the river in times to come

Edited April 4, 2009 by depoix

[craigmason 10]

if anybody wants to contact them to offer advice

 

Mr. J.W.G Blewitt

140 Industry St

Sheffield

S6 2WX

007749019496

E-mail:- [email protected]

[sweeney todd 10]

Must say Depoix is absolutely right,clean up the banks by all means but keep out of the river .

[Squiggs 11]

One of the more pressing (and long-running) problems is the massive amounts of fly tipping on the bank along Club Mill Road.

 

I know for a fact that the Environmental Health tried to tackle it but by all accounts failed miserably, every time I pass that way there is more waste, some of it dangerous.

 

Perhaps a suitable summer project would be a cleanup there and pressure on the authorities to redouble their efforts, instead of leaving it to private firms to put makeshift bollards of cut down RSJs to try to stop vehicles pulling off the road

Edited April 4, 2009 by Squiggs

[craigmason 10]

some more info for you

Sheffield's own godfather of industry, the river Don, now has a small family of loyal protectors. SPRITE (Sheffield Partnership: Rivers In Town Environments) aims to work alongside local businesses, government, the Don Catchment Rivers Trust and conservation volunteers to protect and rejuvenate the urban river corridors of the city and its suburbs.

SPRITE is the Sheffield branch of the Trout in the Town family and is headed up by two figures; local ecologist Dr. Cheri Gibson and lifelong local angler John Blewitt (who was interviewed along with TINTT by the Walkley Herald about the project):

Despite the Don's much improved water quality and the existence of nice habitat patches (with great potential for more), there are still many obstacles to tackle for wildlife in general - and the iconic wild brown trout in particular. Habitat management and restoration for the benefit of brown trout automatically also benefits the general river corridor wildlife. The trout requires good water quality, robust invertebrate food-webs, well-connected habitats (not fragmented by weirs), balanced marginal vegetation and trees and physical variety within the river channel. Providing all these things is the key to establishing a fantastic, well rounded wildlife population of a variety of coarse and game fish, invertebrates, birds, voles, otters, bats, wild flowers, mixed-age trees (and the control/eradication of dominant invasive plant species where possible).

http://www.wildtrout.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=1&id=82&Itemid=311

[depoix 11]

some more info for you

 

http://www.wildtrout.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=1&id=82&Itemid=311

the brown trout mentioned in your last post is the reason rivers are closed from march until june,they are an indigenous species and come under protection from the law,your friends should check the enviroment agency site for the laws pertaining to close seasons or he/they could end up in trouble with the said agency

[craigmason 10]

Right depoix asked the people behind the project the questions raised on here

There answers

Clean-up

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, trout do not spawn from March to June.

They spawn in the Autumn.

That is why the close season for trout is from Oct to March/April.

The point of the club is that it is free to join and to act as a social focus and build a network of friends to carry out some conservation work and enjoy angling together (both coarse and game).

photos provided

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee67/Totalpunter/Don021.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee67/Totalpunter/Don007.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee67/Totalpunter/Don008.jpg

 

fishing club

It WON'T exclude anyone from fishing on the publicly accessible water, but it WILL give those people a chance to put something back into the river.

Trash clear ups will not take place in inappropriate areas, the river BANKS are where the bulk of the clear up work will concentrate. Areas of water used by "sticky spawning" coarse fish will not be trampled through during their spawning season. Similarly, gravel redds will be left alone during the game fish spawning period. It is a non-issue, and very far from "not being thought through".

Anglers and walkers already use the area, a few clean ups a year are not going to add to the disturbance experienced by wildlife!

There is a growing problem of japanese knotweed and there is also the potential to improve the habitat of the river for all fish, invertebrates, plants, birds and mammals. At the moment none of that is looked after or protected and is there by accident. It is important to send out the message that people value the wildlife and angling amenity of the river corridor.

 

I should also add, that the classroom work that SPRITE will be doing will help kids and their parents to place more value on the river and reduce fly tipping in the local community in future.

the angling club is FREE to join and will not stop people from fishing on the public sections?

 

In effect - people who continue to fish but don't sign up for the odd clean up or habitat work event will be having their section of river keepered for them; and are complaining about the fact (!?)

[retep 68]

Right depoix asked the people behind the project the questions raised on here

There answers

 

 

 

 

I should also add, that the classroom work that SPRITE will be doing will help kids and their parents to place more value on the river and reduce fly tipping in the local community in future.

the angling club is FREE to join and will not stop people from fishing on the public sections?

In effect - people who continue to fish but don't sign up for the odd clean up or habitat work event will be having their section of river keepered for them; and are complaining about the fact (!?)

 

And here lies the rub, what parts are the public sections, the bits that are left after the fishing club have stuck up their "No Fishing Private" signs

The Don is a public river and should be kept as such, as soon as fish started to thrive again it was expected some fishing club or other would try and take charge, there are plenty of kids who enjoy the stretch upwards of Hillfoot Bridge some who only get a chance to fish occasionally why should they have to join a club to get what they already have.

[craigmason 10]

The fishing club is free to join

http://urbantrout.blogspot.com/

Edited April 6, 2009 by craigmason