]> 2026-04-12T15:48:16+00:00 Case study:UP! - The Usk Project 500 en Approved Removal of fish barriers Livestock fencing Habitat restoration Wye & Usk Foundation Environment Agency Countryside Council for Wales Forestry Commission Brecon Beacons National Park University of Wales Cardiff United Usk Fishermen's Association Keep Wales Tidy Wildlife Trusts Yes No Yes 51.703533,-2.903404 Stephen Wye & Usk Foundation Marsh-Smith Removal of fish barriers, Livestock fencing, Habitat restoration,, ,,, 16934 Environment Agency, Countryside Council for Wales, Forestry Commission Brecon Beacons National Park, University of Wales, Cardiff, United Usk Fishermen's Association, Keep Wales Tidy, Wildlife Trusts Upper Usk 2007-12-31Z 2454465.5 Upper usk.jpg 2004-01-01Z 2453005.5 Complete Our first venture with the Usk owners and fishermen was the joint buy out of the putchers and nets in the Estuary in 2000. Working together showed how much there was in common with the interests on the Wye and at the end of an appropriate 'engagement', we merged. The first priority after joining forces was to submit a project under ERDF Objective 2 and Transitional funding as these sources of major funds for river restoration were coming to an end. After several months work, the Foundation succeeded in gaining approval for two paired projects in the Transitional and Objective 2 areas that jointly cover the Usk catchment from source to Abergavenny. The projects commenced in January 2004 originally to run until the end of 2006. Together they are called the Usk Project, or more simply UP! and have a total projected spend of £0.9 million. In 2007, a year's extension was granted to UP! (above Brecon) taking the total budget to £1.12m. UP! funding was used to restore the degraded and inaccessible habitat on the Usk tributary streams and through the reopening of the blocked tributaries. A marketing strategy similar to that set up in pHish was used to bring the benefits of river improvements to the rural economy with the ultimate goal of making these improvements self funding and sustainable. Our partners are listed below and includes for the first time Brecon Beacons National Park, through which most of the rivers involved in the project flow. While the salmon fishing on the Usk may have improved since the 2000 net buy off (funded by Wye Salmon Fishery Owners Association, United Usk Fisherman's Association and the then Wye Foundation), there is still considerable scope for improvement and the famous Usk brown trout is not as numerous as it once was. Many regular fishermen are pointing out that while the average size of trout has risen dramatically (2lb fish are now common), numbers of small fish have declined. Stocking with hatchery reared fish is bad news for the river as it is expensive, fails to tackle the underlying problems and endangers the native populations. In addition, 'stockies' are no substitute for the famous native Usk trout. Fishery scientists use the term 'lack of recruitment' to describe the phenomenon of poor juvenile fish production. The problem lies in the smaller tributaries. Siltation, diffuse pollution, habitat destruction and obstructions are the prime suspects and UP! is the means of putting right these evils. UP! Project achievements: Fish passes were built on: Cynrig Rhiangoll Crawnon Significant barriers to fish migration were removed on: Cilieni Menasgin Sorgwm Ychen ...while minor barriers were removed on: Tarell Menasgin (again) Honddu Grwyne. Habitat restoration work was completed on: Bran Crai Ysgir Fawr Grwyne Upper main stem Usk Ethrim Rhiangoll Tarell Honddu UP! - The Usk Project up! - the usk project Fisheries Habitat and biodiversity Water quality 2014-09-17T13:38:06Z 2456918.068125 2017-06-21T09:52:35Z 2457925.9115162 UP! - The Usk Project