Castletown Weir Rock Ramp Fish Pass 2015

Ten minute video depicting the construction of a Rockramp Fishpass at the Castletown weir on the River Nore, Co. Laois. The work was carried out by Killeen Construction Company for Inland Fisheries Ireland. This video was produced by Waxwing Wildlife Productions Ltd.

[@JohnKJohnson]

Would be nice to have an update, photos of how it fared after several winters, whether any "tune-ups" were required.

[@billsmith5109]

I’d like to hear a little more too about why the original weir was not removed and river returned to natural, historical condition. Was construction of the fish pass more inexpensive?

[@martin7955]

Ifi river wreckers and the opw too !

[@castlebilliards8712]

Im walking that strech of river the last few years and I've never seen a single salmon. Lots of very small trout and that's it

[@Vorpal_Wit]

Beautiful piece of engineering in more than one meaning.

[@EcofactIe]

Look at the drop at the top - it will not facilitate lampreys and is no better for eels than what was there before - despite this development being specially mentioned as being an eel pass in Irelands' EMP. We also have Bennettsbridge (and others) downstream and "The basin" upstream so it is of local benefit only even for salmonids. There will be a small hydro scheme here and such schemes are not regulated in Ireland. We are not making any significant attempts to open up eel migration pathways in Ireland.

[@nicholasgrubb]

The problem is, there has been so much crossing with escaped farm stock, that salmon have lost the ability to jump anymore. Besides what is the point of them going any further upstream, when all their old spawning grounds are now completely and utterly shaded over by willow and alder and all the life sustaining ranunculus weed gone. Because its binding roots are no longer there, all the fine sands and silts are migrating downstream, smothering the spawning gravels. NO that can't be right. It was the cattle which were getting into the streams that were stirring up the muds and fine silts. Confused? No need to be. There were weirs on these rivers for the previous several hundred years and cattle in them up to their necks for the previous thousands. Were the rivers full of salmon then or empty. Stop chasing red herrings! Deal with the tunneling an deal with the sea cages.

[@EcofactIe]

How do we know that there are less salmon and trout in shaded stretches of river? Electrofishing is far more efficient in open rather than tunnelled stretches of river - so IFI research underpinning the conclusion that there are less salmonids in tunnelled stretches is flawed. Trees provide cover and large woody debris provides habitat for fish. Allochthonous inputs of leaves provide food - directly though insects falling from trees, indirectly by providing leaf litter for shredders. The upper Nore has been ruined by drainage, peat harvesting and agricultural pressures. Few farmed escapees have ever entered the Nore.

[@martin7955]

@@EcofactIe my god anyone thinks that no trees is good for rivers is mad i agree 100 percent that vegetation is good for salmon 100 percent and for eels and trout