Salmon Return to the Garrell Burn After Restoration Project

Salmon have returned to the Garrell Burn in Kilsyth for the first time in 100 years, as a result of a river restoration project funded by North Lanarkshire Council and SEPA's Water Environment Fund.

The work at Dumbreck Local Nature Reserve, south-west of Kilsyth, was completed early 2022 and has delivered the re-naturalisation of 600m of the Garrell Burn with two new fish passes created, improvements to the wetland habitat, new paths created, two bridges replaced and a new one installed, and two boardwalks upgraded.

The project has improved the nature reserve to conserve the wetland habitat and species such as invertebrates, water voles and wetland birds, and the two new fish passes are designed to allow migration of salmon as well as sea trout and eels.

Monitoring by the River Clyde Foundation has now confirmed that identified salmon fry at Burngreen Park, upstream from the new fish passes.

New fish pass on Garrell Burn

Further information on project is available on the North Lanarkshire Council website, here - https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/news/salmon-returns-river-after-100-years

A detailed case study of the project is available here - https://restorerivers.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Case_study%3ADumbreck_Marsh_%26_Garrel_Burn_Restoration

(July 2022)