River blockage removed from River Browney near Durham

[Editor]

21-Feb-2012

Officers from the Environment Agency have taken action to clear a river near Lanchester in Durham after fallen trees blocked it and prevented fish swimming past.

The River Browney is an important river for salmon and sea trout, which are swimming back to the sea after spawning.

The fallen beech trees were reported to the Environment Agency by a local farmer, and the Environment Agency started work to remove them last week.

The job was difficult because of access problems to the river, partly due to a strong fence designed to keep the farmer’s pigs from escaping.

The team had to thread rope through the fence to winch the trees clear using Environment Agency plant and machinery

Andrew Foster, Environment Agency Operations Delivery Team, said: “We responded quickly to remove the blockage from this important river for migratory fish. The trees had sunken into the riverbed, making it difficult for fish to get past.

“We managed to get the two very large trees out of the river and we’ve cut them up so the farmer can use it for firewood.”

The work was a part of the Environment Agency’s regular schedule of river maintenance.