https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Mattduffy 2026-04-21T05:30:41Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.39.7 https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=File:DonUSMigrationStatus2024_05_BM.jpg&diff=51760 2026-02-19T11:47:04Z

<p>Mattduffy: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Mattduffy https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Case_study:Salmon_to_Sheffield&diff=51759 2026-02-19T11:46:20Z

<p>Mattduffy: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Project overview<br /> |Status=Complete<br /> |Themes=Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Urban<br /> |Country=England<br /> |Main contact forename=Matthew<br /> |Main contact surname=Duffy<br /> |Main contact id=DCRT<br /> |Contact organisation=Don Catchment Rivers Trust<br /> |Contact organisation url=dcrt.org.uk/<br /> |Multi-site=Yes<br /> |Project summary=The River Don suffered severe industrial pollution throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and was considered ecologically dead until the late 1980s. Improvements in water quality, combined with fish reintroductions and restocking, led to the recovery of resident fish populations and the return of Atlantic salmon to the lower catchment in the mid-1990s. Despite this recovery, migratory species remained unable to access their historic spawning grounds in the upper Don due to a succession of man-made barriers.<br /> Restoring longitudinal connectivity has therefore been a long-term ambition for partners working across the catchment. The first major barrier to migration, Crimpsall Sluice at Doncaster, was addressed through construction of a rock ramp, enabling salmon and other migratory fish to bypass the structure. Over the following 20 years, and working predominantly from downstream to upstream, a further 16 barriers were progressively eased. These interventions were primarily delivered through the installation of Larinier fish passes, a proven and effective solution for the steep, low-head weirs characteristic of the River Don.<br /> <br /> Delivery of this catchment-scale programme relied on a combination of legislative drivers linked to riparian and hydropower developments, charitable grant funding secured by the Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT), and contributions from organisations such as Yorkshire Water in support of their sustainability objectives. This partnership approach enabled long-standing barriers to be addressed and ensured steady progress towards restoring full river connectivity.<br /> <br /> The success of this work became clear in 2019 with the recording of a hen Atlantic salmon downstream of Sheffield city centre at Salmon Pastures. Subsequent sightings and carcass records led to targeted surveys to assess spawning success. In 2025, these efforts culminated in the discovery of a salmon parr by a DCRT survey team—the first confirmed evidence of successful salmon reproduction in the River Don for over 200 years.<br /> |Monitoring surveys and results=Monitoring and evaluation support the project through targeted electrofishing surveys and wider ecological monitoring. As the programme moves from delivery to optimisation, the installation of fish counters represents a key next step, providing robust, quantitative evidence of fish passage effectiveness and demonstrating restored connectivity at a catchment scale. This enhanced monitoring will help secure the long-term legacy of the project and inform best practice for migratory fish restoration elsewhere.<br /> |Project title=Salmon to Sheffield<br /> }}<br /> {{Case study status<br /> |Approval status=Draft<br /> }}<br /> {{Location<br /> |Location=53.43045, -1.35885<br /> }}<br /> <br /> {{Image gallery}}<br /> {{Image gallery end}}<br /> {{Toggle button}}<br /> {{Toggle content start}}<br /> {{Case study subcatchment}}<br /> {{Site}}<br /> {{Project background}}<br /> {{Motivations}}<br /> {{Measures}}<br /> {{Hydromorphological quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Biological quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Physico-chemical quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Other responses header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Monitoring documents}}<br /> {{Monitoring documents end}}<br /> {{Additional Documents}}<br /> {{Additional Documents end}}<br /> {{Additional links and references header}}<br /> {{Additional links and references footer}}<br /> {{Supplementary Information}}<br /> {{Toggle content end}}</div>

Mattduffy https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Case_study:Salmon_to_Sheffield&diff=51758 2026-02-19T11:45:51Z

<p>Mattduffy: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Project overview<br /> |Status=Complete<br /> |Themes=Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Urban<br /> |Country=England<br /> |Main contact forename=Matthew<br /> |Main contact surname=Duffy<br /> |Main contact id=DCRT<br /> |Contact organisation=Don Catchment Rivers Trust<br /> |Contact organisation url=dcrt.org.uk/<br /> |Multi-site=Yes<br /> |Project summary=The River Don suffered severe industrial pollution throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and was considered ecologically dead until the late 1980s. Improvements in water quality, combined with fish reintroductions and restocking, led to the recovery of resident fish populations and the return of Atlantic salmon to the lower catchment in the mid-1990s. Despite this recovery, migratory species remained unable to access their historic spawning grounds in the upper Don due to a succession of man-made barriers.<br /> Restoring longitudinal connectivity has therefore been a long-term ambition for partners working across the catchment. The first major barrier to migration, Crimpsall Sluice at Doncaster, was addressed through construction of a rock ramp, enabling salmon and other migratory fish to bypass the structure. Over the following 20 years, and working predominantly from downstream to upstream, a further 16 barriers were progressively eased (see catchment barrier map in supporting information 1). These interventions were primarily delivered through the installation of Larinier fish passes, a proven and effective solution for the steep, low-head weirs characteristic of the River Don.<br /> <br /> Delivery of this catchment-scale programme relied on a combination of legislative drivers linked to riparian and hydropower developments, charitable grant funding secured by the Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT), and contributions from organisations such as Yorkshire Water in support of their sustainability objectives. This partnership approach enabled long-standing barriers to be addressed and ensured steady progress towards restoring full river connectivity.<br /> <br /> The success of this work became clear in 2019 with the recording of a hen Atlantic salmon downstream of Sheffield city centre at Salmon Pastures. Subsequent sightings and carcass records led to targeted surveys to assess spawning success. In 2025, these efforts culminated in the discovery of a salmon parr by a DCRT survey team—the first confirmed evidence of successful salmon reproduction in the River Don for over 200 years.<br /> |Monitoring surveys and results=Monitoring and evaluation support the project through targeted electrofishing surveys and wider ecological monitoring. As the programme moves from delivery to optimisation, the installation of fish counters represents a key next step, providing robust, quantitative evidence of fish passage effectiveness and demonstrating restored connectivity at a catchment scale. This enhanced monitoring will help secure the long-term legacy of the project and inform best practice for migratory fish restoration elsewhere.<br /> |Project title=Salmon to Sheffield<br /> }}<br /> {{Case study status<br /> |Approval status=Draft<br /> }}<br /> {{Location<br /> |Location=53.43045, -1.35885<br /> }}<br /> <br /> {{Image gallery}}<br /> {{Image gallery end}}<br /> {{Toggle button}}<br /> {{Toggle content start}}<br /> {{Case study subcatchment}}<br /> {{Site}}<br /> {{Project background}}<br /> {{Motivations}}<br /> {{Measures}}<br /> {{Hydromorphological quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Biological quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Physico-chemical quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Other responses header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Monitoring documents}}<br /> {{Monitoring documents end}}<br /> {{Additional Documents}}<br /> {{Additional Documents end}}<br /> {{Additional links and references header}}<br /> {{Additional links and references footer}}<br /> {{Supplementary Information}}<br /> {{Toggle content end}}</div>

Mattduffy https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Case_study:Salmon_to_Sheffield&diff=51757 2026-02-19T11:43:02Z

<p>Mattduffy: Created page with &quot;{{Case study status |Approval status=Draft }} {{Location |Location=53.43045, -1.35885 }} {{Project overview |Project title=Salmon to Sheffield |Status=Complete |Themes=Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Urban |Country=England |Main contact forename=Matthew |Main contact surname=Duffy |Main contact id=DCRT |Contact organisation=Don Catchment Rivers Trust |Contact organisation url=dcrt.org.uk/ |Multi-site=Yes }} {...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Case study status<br /> |Approval status=Draft<br /> }}<br /> {{Location<br /> |Location=53.43045, -1.35885<br /> }}<br /> {{Project overview<br /> |Project title=Salmon to Sheffield<br /> |Status=Complete<br /> |Themes=Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Urban<br /> |Country=England<br /> |Main contact forename=Matthew<br /> |Main contact surname=Duffy<br /> |Main contact id=DCRT<br /> |Contact organisation=Don Catchment Rivers Trust<br /> |Contact organisation url=dcrt.org.uk/<br /> |Multi-site=Yes<br /> }}<br /> {{Image gallery}}<br /> {{Image gallery end}}<br /> {{Toggle button}}<br /> {{Toggle content start}}<br /> {{Case study subcatchment}}<br /> {{Site}}<br /> {{Project background}}<br /> {{Motivations}}<br /> {{Measures}}<br /> {{Hydromorphological quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Biological quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Physico-chemical quality elements header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Other responses header}}<br /> {{End table}}<br /> {{Monitoring documents}}<br /> {{Monitoring documents end}}<br /> {{Additional Documents}}<br /> {{Additional Documents end}}<br /> {{Additional links and references header}}<br /> {{Additional links and references footer}}<br /> {{Supplementary Information}}<br /> {{Toggle content end}}</div>

Mattduffy