Bowston Dam is across the River Kent, an Internationally Important Site of Special Scientific Interest, home to white-clawed crayfish and freshwater pearl mussels, as well as water crowfoot, an oxygenating aquatic plant. But the river is in bad shape due to human interference over the centuries. Pete Evoy, director of the South Cumbria Rivers Trust, said: “The removal of Bowston Dam will help to re-naturalize this section of the River Kent, improve navigation for migratory species, reduce flood risks for residents and provide net gain of 44% in biodiversity. “We expect to see more fish, eels, invertebrates and other species,” he said. “It will be the first dam removal on the Kent River, but hopefully not the last.” One of 14 barriers in Kent, the 25m wide weir was built in 1874 to control the flow of water feeding Bowston Mill, which made rags and ropes for the paper industry. The mill closed in the 1960s and was demolished but the dam remained in place. It is estimated that there are around 50 to 60,000 dams, weirs and culverts on UK rivers, less than half of which are mapped, including dams built for industry, agriculture and flood defences. Many are now obsolete, but continue to block rivers, damaging ecosystems. Bowston is the biggest river dam removal planned for the UK this year. Funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, it is expected to last up to three months. It took years to get the go-ahead to remove Bowston Dam. Photo: Courtesy of Ebsford Environmental “The Cumbria River Restoration Strategy aims to remove as many disused dams as possible and restore natural connectivity to our rivers,” said Oliver Southgate, Cumbria River Restoration Program Manager for the Environment Agency. “Bowston Dam is one of the largest in the Kent catchment. While the barrier already has fishways, the complete removal of the barrier will allow all fish species better access to upstream spawning habitat and help restore natural processes in this section of the river, benefiting people and wildlife.” Getting to the point of removing Bowston Dam was a long, challenging process, Evoy said, which began with getting agreement from the dam’s owners, James Cropper, who continues to make paper today. “We received approval to proceed with removal in 2020, after years of discussion. Local residents were very vocal in their disapproval, due to concerns about the perceived risk of flooding, riparian ownership and concerns that the removal would affect local biodiversity. “The application had to go to a planning committee,” he said, “and was finally approved in February 2022 – five years after the original feasibility report.” Last year was a record for dam removals in Europe, with at least 239 dams, dams and other dams dismantled in 17 countries, including a dam that has blocked Norway’s Tromsa River for more than 100 years. The recently launched Open Rivers program will invest €42.5m (£36.5m) over the next six years to unblock rivers across Europe. However, conservationists and river experts are concerned about the slow pace of action in the UK and the failure to enact promising legislation. “We are disappointed with the current situation,” Evoy said. “Most of these structures were built many years ago. they did not consider the environmental impact they would have. “At a time of climate and ecological crisis, dam removal should be part of a nationally supported plan to repair the damage they have caused to our rivers.” Spain removed 108 barriers from rivers in 2021, largely due to legislation that makes the owner pay for their removal once they stop using them. This type of legislation is seen as vital to the hopes of restoring the UK’s rivers. The Environment Agency has highlighted recent improvements to fish passages on England’s rivers, including the Severn and Tyne. However, he was unable to provide a timetable for the new legislation to remove obstructions in the rivers. “Successive governments have been promising legislation to free up and restore rivers across the UK for more than two decades, but so far they have fallen short,” said Barry Bendall, director of operations at the Rivers Trust. “With the significant decline in our aquatic biodiversity, we urgently need the restoration of free-flowing rivers. “But without legislation, there is very little imperative for the owners of these fences to do anything about them, so antiquated fences across the UK will remain in place for generations to come.” Find more coverage of Age of Extinction here and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
