Salmon spawn in river for the first time in a century

WILDLIFE TRUST'S PROJECT IS CELEBRATING SUCCESS

- By TELEGRAPH REPORTER

ATLANTIC salmon have spawned in the upper reaches of the River Ecclesbourne for the first time in more than 100 years, following an ambitious project to help restore the river's habitat and support the return of this iconic species.

Young salmon, known as parr, have been discovered near the site of the former Postern Mill in Turnditch, Derbyshire, following the completion of a restoration project to re-meander a 400m section of the river back to its original channel and open up more than 28km of river and tributaries for fish migration.

The project, which began in 2023 and was completed earlier this year, saw the creation of a new channel to bypass the last remaining weir on the Ecclesbourne, located between Wirksworth and where the river joins the Derwent near Duffield.