Case study:Salmon to Sheffield

Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Urban
Country	England
Main contact forename	Matthew
Main contact surname	Duffy
Main contact user ID	User:DCRT
Contact organisation	Don Catchment Rivers Trust
Contact organisation web site	http://dcrt.org.uk/
Partner organisations
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Project summary

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The River Don suffered severe industrial pollution throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and was considered ecologically dead until the late 1980s. Improvements in water quality, combined with fish reintroductions and restocking, led to the recovery of resident fish populations and the return of Atlantic salmon to the lower catchment in the mid-1990s. Despite this recovery, migratory species remained unable to access their historic spawning grounds in the upper Don due to a succession of man-made barriers. Restoring longitudinal connectivity has therefore been a long-term ambition for partners working across the catchment. The first major barrier to migration, Crimpsall Sluice at Doncaster, was addressed through construction of a rock ramp, enabling salmon and other migratory fish to bypass the structure. Over the following 20 years, and working predominantly from downstream to upstream, a further 16 barriers were progressively eased (see catchment barrier map in supporting information 1). These interventions were primarily delivered through the installation of Larinier fish passes, a proven and effective solution for the steep, low-head weirs characteristic of the River Don.

Delivery of this catchment-scale programme relied on a combination of legislative drivers linked to riparian and hydropower developments, charitable grant funding secured by the Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT), and contributions from organisations such as Yorkshire Water in support of their sustainability objectives. This partnership approach enabled long-standing barriers to be addressed and ensured steady progress towards restoring full river connectivity.

The success of this work became clear in 2019 with the recording of a hen Atlantic salmon downstream of Sheffield city centre at Salmon Pastures. Subsequent sightings and carcass records led to targeted surveys to assess spawning success. In 2025, these efforts culminated in the discovery of a salmon parr by a DCRT survey team—the first confirmed evidence of successful salmon reproduction in the River Don for over 200 years.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Monitoring and evaluation support the project through targeted electrofishing surveys and wider ecological monitoring. As the programme moves from delivery to optimisation, the installation of fish counters represents a key next step, providing robust, quantitative evidence of fish passage effectiveness and demonstrating restored connectivity at a catchment scale. This enhanced monitoring will help secure the long-term legacy of the project and inform best practice for migratory fish restoration elsewhere.

Lessons learnt

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Location: 53° 25' 49.62" N, 1° 21' 31.86" W

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information