When we were asked by Yorkshire Water to design a cost-effective fish easement to overcome 400 m of laid-stone channel with a 4 m head drop and difficult access on the Hebble Brook (a tributary of the River Calder) we were at first baffled (no pun intended!). However, our highly skilled team of fisheries biologists and civil engineers worked together to come up with a solution that not only significantly improved fish passage at the site, but did so for a modest budget and using sustainable materials. The solution is a form of low-cost baffle pass using green oak sleepers that were fixed to the laid-stone channel using simple anchor bolts. The wooden baffles were larger than standard low-cost baffles to ensure suitable depths and velocities for fish passage throughout the channel, thus acting more similar to pre-barrages. Each section was within manual handling limits and as such all work was undertaken without the need for large machinery. We think the works are looking great and we hope to see fish using the fish pass soon!
