Water crowfoot

Stratfield Mortimer Weir opened up for fish to swim again

March 9, 2016

Work was completed in January 2016 by the weir in the village of Stratfield Mortimer to make it accessible for fish once more.

Foudry Brook is a tributary of the River Kennet. The fish population is poorer than would be expected for a healthy river. One of the reasons is that fish are unable to move freely up and down the river.
Action for the River Kennet (ARK) is working to remove barriers to fish movement and improve river habitat. The solution at Stratfield Mortimer Weir was to create a series of pools using natural rock to provide watery steps which fish can navigate.

The project was managed by Action for the River Kennet and is funded by the Environment Agency through the Catchment Partnership Action Fund with a contribution from Thames Water. The main contractor is Windrush Aquatic Environment Consultancy.