The Environment Agency has started construction of a £1million new fish pass at Turf Lock on the River Lark at Mildenhall in Suffolk.
The River Lark is a chalk stream and one of just over 200 in the world.
The aim of the work is to enable the free flow of native wild brown trout, eels and coarse fish. This will allow them to access habitat in the River Lark upstream of Mildenhall for spawning and foraging.
The project is part of the Brecks Fen Edge & Rivers Landscape Partnership Scheme, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The partnership is hosted by Suffolk County Council and includes local councils, the Environment Agency, Anglian Water, Natural England, and many more.
Work will be carried out to remove two weirs that are currently impeding the fish and eels’ progress at Turf Lock. Once this work is done a new fish passage known as a rip rap rock ramp will be created using natural limestone boulders. A rip rap rock ramp provides shelter to the fish as they go between them. This work will take around three months to complete.
Chalk streams are a ‘valuable natural resource’
Lou Mayer, Environment Programme Manager for the Environment Agency said:
“It’s fantastic to see work beginning on this important nature recovery project, as part of the catchment-based approach.
“Chalk streams are an incredibly valuable natural resource which the Environment Agency are working hard to restore and protect through working in partnership.
“Turf Lock is one of three structures in Mildenhall that will need modification for fish passage. Through consultation with Mildenhall Town Council, West Suffolk Council, landowners and local residents we are hopeful that we can continue to work in partnership to improve the biodiversity of the land around the river as well.”
Councillor Philip Faircloth-Mutton, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality said:
“Suffolk County Council is proud to support excellent partnership projects such as this, that deliver meaningful, and lasting outcomes to protect and enhance Suffolk’s biodiversity through the restoration of our valuable chalk steam habitats.”
Ian Shipp, West Suffolk’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture said:
“We welcome this work which will benefit the river and support biodiversity in line with our own strategic priority for environmental resilience and thank all of those involved for their hard work in delivering such a complex scheme.”
