Weir removal on river Don.

[Mr Hinks 10]

The EA are to remove part of the weirs at Beeley Wood and Owlerton. This will also allow fish to pass the weir. Sprotbrough got a fish pass the Don gets it's weirs demolished, will this affect the fishing or help to prevent floods?

They say this will improve the river, surely the water level will drop.

[ALAN 58 10]

The EA are to remove part of the weirs at Beeley Wood and Owlerton. This will also allow fish to pass the weir. Sprotbrough got a fish pass the Don gets it's weirs demolished, will this affect the fishing or help to prevent floods?

They say this will improve the river, surely the water level will drop.

This may help, click on link..

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/290655/sw5b-023-hqp-e-e.pdf

[Croftonblade 10]

Won't the water level stay exactly the same? The same volume of water will still be entering the point where the weir was and it all still has to go downstream.

It means we'll get more salmon and sea trout getting upstream to breed- but imagine turning up one day in the future to fish at Oughtibridge and a big sign being there saying that it is now private fishing for the Don Salmon Society! It'll happen one day.

[Mr Hinks 10]

I reckon the water level will be the same below the weir, if part of the weir is removed the level above will be a lot lower plus the flow will increase.

That may be good I don't know but it may not be.

Like you say if the river becomes a prolific Salmon river fishing may well become private. The fish pass at Sprotbrough is to help Salmon upstream, the smaller weirs between Sprotbrough to Beeley Wood are all small weirs that Salmon could cope with, the EA say the removel of higher weirs would help coarse fish up stream.

[charliewag 19]

i've been in beeley wood today and the plans for the work to be done are on a tree next to the weir. i shouldn't think it would really affect the river in any way but once the removal is complete it means the chavs from winn gardens who fish this pool regularly would have nowhere to dump their empty cans,crisp packets and takeaway boxes.

[Mr Hinks 10]

The EA say the weirs to be worked on are in a bad state of repair. The species more likely to benefit in their opinion are Eels but Salmon have also been mentioned.

[charliewag 19]

The removal of the trees started this morning. I was talking to an e.a chap and he told me only part of the weir was being removed in order to build the fish pass. He informed that more fish passes are to be built all along the river.

[birley 10]

Isn't it about time our historic weirs were listed and maintained, I have fished for salmon in Scotland for many years and have seen them jump twice the height of any of the weirs on the Don, I also saw the signs that are nailed to a tree in Beeley wood this morning, there is some damage to the weir bur it could be repaired, there is also a notice to the land owner, does anyone know who this is I thought it was the council!!

[Mr Hinks 10]

I understood the fish passes on the Don were to help fish traverse the weirs in low water conditions.

As we know Salmon need a flush of water to cross a weir, spate rivers mostly in Scotland's Salmon rivers are up and down like an whores drawers.

Not as regular an occurrence in Sheff as in haggis land.

You do have a point though regarding listing our weirs and I agree.

I'm not saying this is true, just as I understand.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Mr Hinks

[birley 10]

We are usually treated to an artists impression of the finished job, is there one available for this work?

Mr Hicks I am no expert either but I was told by someone of the Haggis hills that the salmon need to rest often on there way upstream, I would have thought that the deep pools at the base of the weirs would be ideal for this.

The fact that these weirs have only recently started to need repair is a credit to our forefathers skill and I think should be preserved where possible.

I have never heard of anyone catching Eels in our stretch of the Don but I know they are endangered so maybe there is a case for them.

There are the remains of an old cobbled ford that crossed the Don behind the Steel works further upstream all but 10% is still in great condition this is around two hundred years old and the oak beams are still in place on the downstream side with the holes still visible that a safety fence must have sat in.

50 yards further up stream remains of an even older ford can be seen at low water this is made of large stone slabs though not cobbles.

All a credit to our past men of steel (and stone).

[craigmason 10]

This is a good river don site http://www.dcrt.org.uk/

Edited February 9, 2016 by craigmason

[birley 10]

That is a great site craigmason, I never thought I would see the day.

I now have a better understanding of the necessity of the work.