The Upper Ribble weirs, which are being addressed thanks to our Ribble Life for Water project, are a set of four weirs on the River Ribble close to Horton in Ribblesdale.
Despite being close to its source the Ribble is still not achieving ‘good’ status in this location. This is due to a number of factors such as agricultural diffuse pollution, land management issues, and modifications in the river, such as these upper Ribble weirs.
These four structures have been identified as having significant impact on the morphology of the river. Having been created some time ago by anglers who hoped to create resting pools for fish, which would improve fishing prospects and the likelihood of catching a fish, the weirs are now negatively affecting the river.
Species such as trout and salmon are sensitive to changes in the river and need particular spawning and nursery habitats. The modifications that have been carried out here are affecting the pool and riffle sequences which are so important for fish.
Although we are in the planning stage, modelling and ecological surveys have been carried out, and we are monitoring for signs of otters.
