Eel-ated reaction to new passage in area of outstanding natural beauty

A newly created passage will boost eel populations and their chances of reaching historical foraging and breeding grounds on a river in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) recently oversaw works to improve eel passage at an important hydrometric monitoring site on the River Alyn at Pont y Capel weir in Wrexham.

Barrier

This removes a well-known barrier to migration that will help to connect river habitats and allow eels to move up the river. It also addresses NRW’s legislative compliance with the eel regulations.

The work took around eight weeks to complete and involved retrofitting eel tiles, flush onto the existing weir structure and the installation of a pumped watering system that will ensure that these tiles remain wet and available for eels to use.

Newly installed steps and a handrail will also help to ensure that future access and maintenance of this system can be carried out safely by NRW officers.

Critically endangered

The European eel is a protected species and is critically endangered. The River Alyn is a tributary of the River Dee. It rises at the southern end of the Clwydian hills, and the Alyn Valley forms part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Tim Owen, NRW Team Leader Hydrometry & Telemetry, said: “The newly installed eel passage at Pont y Capel will remove the current constraint to eel migration and improve wider ecological connectivity in the River Alyn.

“The work will boost eel populations as it makes it easier for them to reach areas of the Alyn where they’ve historically bred and foraged.

“This work completes another successful eel passage installation on a Hydrometric weir which are required to measure levels and flows across north Wales. There are another three Eel passages planned to be installed over the next couple of years within remaining catchments across north Wales.”