A project to allow fish and eels to safely bypass a man-made weir in the River Blackwater is now complete, thanks to Essex & Suffolk Water.
The concrete weir, near Maldon, was preventing fish and eels from taking their natural migration upstream. The route is particularly important for the life cycle of eels, which travel from the Sargasso Sea, maturing from glass eels to elvers to yellow eels in the River Blackwater and other UK locations, before heading back to the North Atlantic to lay eggs.
Essex & Suffolk Water recognised the ecological importance of installing a fish and eel pass for the welfare of the river.
Kerri Russell, Project Manager, said: “At Essex & Suffolk Water we take a great deal of care to make sure the work we do isn’t to the detriment of the local environment. The eel and fish pass also makes sure we meet our obligations under the Eels Regulations 2009 and Water Framework Directive.”
Working with Stantec, and the local Environment Agency fisheries team, Essex & Suffolk Water developed a solution using low carbon concrete. A dry working area was created in the river using a “portadam” or portable dam, but unfortunately because of the unusually wet weather in summer 2024, it took longer than expected.
Following completion of the work, the Environment Agency has set up a camera to monitor the wildlife that passes through the new structure.
Kerri added: “It’s a bespoke design, with peg tiles for the eels to weave through and baffle tiles for the fish, to slow the flow of water and allow them to rest if they need to.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from local groups, so recently our teams carried out visits to the site, which is on private land, to explain the work that has taken place and why it is important. We’re grateful that local environment groups and interested parties are keen to learn more about the work we do.”
You can learn more about Essex & Suffolk Water’s environmental commitments in our Environment Strategy to 2025: Environment strategy.