Four Rivers for LIFE - Llanfoist Bridge fish pass scheme

The River Usk is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which means it is of international importance for its wildlife and plants.

It is home to salmon and wild brown trout, and many other species such as the allis and twaite shad, brook, river and sea lamprey, eels, bullhead, otter, water crowfoot and white-clawed crayfish.

Several otter sightings have been recorded on this stretch of the river around Llanfoist Bridge. Dense bankside vegetation provides cover for these shy creatures.

The river is also home to a wide range of riverside breeding birds such as kingfishers, grey wagtails and dippers. The birds will work a length of river exploring the pools, gravel shoals, tree-root hollows for beetle larvae and small fish fry.

Images top L-R: Atlantic salmon, Allis shad, River lamprey.

Images bottom L-R: Bullhead, Watercrowfoot, Otter.

The existing bridge footings at Llanfoist bridge are restricting fish passage, affecting many species such as salmon, shad and lamprey which are protected species and features of the River Usk SAC.

Research shows that even small barriers like this can cause significant disruption to some fish and delay their migration upstream.

The Four Rivers for LIFE project are installing a new fish pass at Llanfoist bridge. The work will create a channel through the bridge footings. We will secure boulders into the channel, slowing the river flow to make it easier for fish to swim through.

We have designed the fish pass to help the migratory species that occur in the River Usk, including Atlantic salmon, trout, shad, lamprey and eel.

The design has been guided by the England and Wales Fish Pass Advisory Panel. The pass will allow fish to get to additional habitats and spawning grounds in the upper river.

This is likely to take 12 weeks between July and October, to avoid disturbing shad and salmon spawning times.

For further information you can email the team directly on 4RiversforLIFE@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

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