New crowdfunding platform by WWF Netherlands is raising money to remove weirs in South Cumbria

The Sunny Bank Dam lies in Torver Beck, which flows into the sea through Coniston Water. The dam is a concrete remnant of an old mill and is 200 - 500 mm high. The dam blocks the upstream migration of salmon, eel and smaller migratory fish.

If South Cumbria Rivers Trust raise the funds to remove this weir, they will create space for new life in the river, such as the kingfisher and the otter, and will open up over 3 kilometres of free-flowing river. The spawning grounds of the salmon and the sea trout will be restored and it will reinforce a larger ecological restoration project, which is being carried out in the Torver Basin.

The Crosthwaite Dam is located in a side stream of the Gilpin River, which runs through the Lake District in Northern England. For more than 100 years, this barrier has ensured that fish, such as trout and eels, can no longer swim here.

Together with you, South Cumbria Rivers Trust want to remove this dam so that the river can flow freely again. All they need is a total of 10,000 euros to remove this culvert and create new aquatic habitat for fish, invertebrates and plants.