no-one in particular
Well-known member
Below is a series of emails I sent to the EA recently. Any constructive advice would be welcome, thanks in advance.
To enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Aug 3 at 9:23 AM
I have noticed there are no Mullet in the river Brede this year at Rye. A new lock gate has been put in which is high and no allowance for Mullet to slip over into the river. Usually there are lots of Mullet in the river by now and I cannot see one.
Could you let me know if any provision has been built into the lock gate to allow fish to run into the river.
REPLY EA-
Thank you for your enquiry into the new lock gates on the River Brede.
Brede locks are new and have been designed to prevent tidal flooding of the river, and the resultant damage to the freshwater system by saline intrusion. During the design phase for the new gates a fish pass was looked at being incorporated into the lock, but was ruled out due to the very limited space. The solution to fish passage is to operate the lock as before, which is to release fresh water at the fall of the tide. This allows migratory species such as sea trout and eels to pass the structure.
The reason the gates have remained shut is to hold back fresh water during this extended dry period, as such the mullet will not have been able to enter the river.
REPLY ME-
Thank you for your reply Eileen. These locks will remain closed for most of the summer therefore preventing runs of both Mullet and Sea Trout up the river. I know this because I have fished here for 20 years and the lock is very rarely opened in the summer months. There should be a sluice of some sort cut into the lock gate that could be lowered a little every now and then to allow the fish to run into the river. This would hardly affect the salinity of the river.
If this is not possible could the lock keeper just open the gate a little for a few hours at the appropriate times to allow these fish to run into the river and the same in the autumn to allow them out. This also would barely affect the salinity of the river.
These fish are a very important part of the ecology of the river.
To enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Aug 3 at 9:23 AM
I have noticed there are no Mullet in the river Brede this year at Rye. A new lock gate has been put in which is high and no allowance for Mullet to slip over into the river. Usually there are lots of Mullet in the river by now and I cannot see one.
Could you let me know if any provision has been built into the lock gate to allow fish to run into the river.
REPLY EA-
Thank you for your enquiry into the new lock gates on the River Brede.
Brede locks are new and have been designed to prevent tidal flooding of the river, and the resultant damage to the freshwater system by saline intrusion. During the design phase for the new gates a fish pass was looked at being incorporated into the lock, but was ruled out due to the very limited space. The solution to fish passage is to operate the lock as before, which is to release fresh water at the fall of the tide. This allows migratory species such as sea trout and eels to pass the structure.
The reason the gates have remained shut is to hold back fresh water during this extended dry period, as such the mullet will not have been able to enter the river.
REPLY ME-
Thank you for your reply Eileen. These locks will remain closed for most of the summer therefore preventing runs of both Mullet and Sea Trout up the river. I know this because I have fished here for 20 years and the lock is very rarely opened in the summer months. There should be a sluice of some sort cut into the lock gate that could be lowered a little every now and then to allow the fish to run into the river. This would hardly affect the salinity of the river.
If this is not possible could the lock keeper just open the gate a little for a few hours at the appropriate times to allow these fish to run into the river and the same in the autumn to allow them out. This also would barely affect the salinity of the river.
These fish are a very important part of the ecology of the river.