22nd July 2022: Salmon returns to river after 100 years

Salmon have returned to the Garrell Burn in Kilsyth for the first time in 100 years, as a result of a river restoration project by the council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Work at Dumbreck Local Nature Reserve has seen 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.

Monitoring by Clyde River Foundation has identified salmon fry upstream from the fish passes at Burngreen Park. The substantial work has also helped improve the river habitat from ‘poor’ to ‘good’ under Scotland’s River Basin Management Plan.

The project has also 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.