Nottinghamshire Installs Pass for Endangered Eels

The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (NWT) has installed a new eel pass alongside a river in Nottinghamshire. This structure, referred to as an “up and over pass,” is situated near a weir on Rainworth Water at Rufford Mill, aiming to facilitate eels’ movement towards new habitats. Its purpose is to assist European eels, which are an endangered species, in bypassing a manmade obstruction and accessing a lake located upstream. According to Ian Higginson, a project manager for NWT, the pass is crucial for the expansion of the eel population. The newly constructed eel pass incorporates sections made of timber and concrete, featuring attached pebbles and polymer studs. The trust stated that eels, which originate in the Sargasso Sea within the Bermuda Triangle and subsequently migrate to Europe via North Atlantic currents, are now able to ascend this pathway. Mr. Higginson commented: “Supporting the migration of the eel is vital in assisting this endangered species to increase its population. Together with a further eel pass recently installed further upstream, the project has now opened up over 7.7 miles (12km) of the river for migrating eels.” This pass forms part of the trust’s Three Rivers Restoration Project, an initiative financed by Severn Trent Water, which seeks to enhance the environmental conditions of Rainworth Water, Vicar Water, and Bevercotes Beck.