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26 October 2010
The year began with good news on migratory fish stocks. Fishing on the lower river was curtailed by the presence of thousands of salmon smolts that collected throughout April. It was the most impressive smolt population seen on the river and probably reflects the excellent salmon spawning recorded in the Autumn - Winter 07 period. Anecdotally, during this year, the Bela has had good runs of mature salmon and sea trout from June onwards.
A series of monthly work parties were arranged on the river from March through to October and have involved repairing winter flood damage, tree planting, weed cutting, tree planting and balsam removal. Permission was obtained from the EA to start cutting Ranunculus before the normal June date in an effort to curb this year’s spectacular growth. However, the monthly work parties failed to arrest the growth of Ranunculus in the main river as frequent high waters prevented in-river work. Next year Milnthorpe Anglers we will be providing the EA with a more robust weed cutting plan.
A further 600m of fencing together with stiles, gate and water gate were installed on the Bela at the end of June. This was the last piece of fencing required to protect the main river from serious damage by grazing cattle.The long awaited opportunity to fence this section was seized when it became clear that in its absence, cattle were able to cross the river and access a newly planted maize field.
The Heron Corn Mill Kaplan hydro turbine installation began in June. There is still some doubt over the EA’s intentions to spend on the improvements to the fish pass that were promised as part of the mitigation for allowing the turbine to share the fish pass water supply.
Also In June, an adult white clawed crayfish was recovered from the main Bela and the record reported to the EA. The populations of white claws are very healthy in the tributaries but until this individual was discovered, there were no records from the main river.
Milnthorpe Anglers continue to participate in the Riverfly Partnership monitoring of the health of the river through sampling invertebrate populations and supplying monthly data to the EA. No adverse findings were made in the year.
SCRT, Milnthorpe Angling Association had a meeting with Ben Bayliss in January to discuss the avoidance of triploid stocking. The EA’s current view is that they will not support a Bela wild brown trout stocking policy initiative largely because the rules on numbers of trout (fifty male, fifty female) required as broodstock are too large and probably not attainable from the short stretch of river stocked. Ben Bayliss is to check within the EA as to whether the Bela might be treated as an exception, but did not hold out much hope. The issue is still the subject of active debate.
The end of the report period was dominated by the proposed relocation of the Kendal Auction Mart to Deepthwaite. The proposed site has no sewer so trailer and pen washing as well as effluent from restaurant and agricultural businesses were to be sent, post treatment, via a settlement lagoon and reed bed to Stainton Beck, a major tributary of the Bela. Milnthope Angling Association and South Cumbria Rivers Trust lodged objections to effluent arrangements and made a presentation to the Planning Committee at the enquiry on 25th March where the development proposal was thrown out.