We’re delighted to share some incredible news from Derbyshire, where a juvenile Atlantic salmon has been found in the Bottle Brook – the first time that this species has been recorded in the river. The UK’s Atlantic salmon populations have been declining for decades, and were declared endangered in 2023. For the River Derwent specifically (of which the Bottle Brook is a tributary), their numbers are unknown due to a lack of regular monitoring.
Our Deputy Director, Tim Jacklin, has been working with partners to improve various Derwent tributaries for several years. On the River Ecclesbourne, for instance, the 2.5m-high Snake Lane Weir was removed in 2022. From 2023 – 25, he helped to create a new river channel to bypass the last remaining weir on the Ecclesbourne, enabling migratory fish to access more than 28km of additional habitat. As a result, adult salmon spawned in the river’s upper reaches for the first time in a century.
So it’s very exciting that a young salmon has been recorded in the Bottle Brook. This discovery provides valuable insight into the distribution of the species, and indicates that the removal of barriers is having a positive impact in reconnecting fragmented river habitats. The continuing work to open up the Derwent’s tributaries, and enhance the quality of their wildlife habitats, benefits not only long-distance travellers like the salmon, but also numerous other fish species, including brown trout, grayling, chub and dace, which range over many kilometres to complete their life cycle.
“This is a significant step in the recovery of migratory fish in the River Derwent and its tributaries,” Tim said of the new record for the Bottle Brook. “It justifies the hard work in removing the many barriers they face. We are delighted to see the benefits for wildlife and the local community, and look forward to working with our partners on similar improvements in the future.”
