New pass installed to support endangered eels

A new eel pass has been installed next to a Nottinghamshire river to help them wriggle their way to new habitats.

The chute, known as an up and over pass, has been placed by a weir along Rainworth Water, at Rufford Mill, by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (NWT).

It is intended to help European eels, an endangered species, navigate the manmade obstacle and reach a lake above it.

NWT project manager Ian Higginson said the pass was vital in helping the eel population grow.

The new eel pass includes a timber and concrete section with mounted pebbles and polymer studs.

The trust said the eels, which are spawned in the Sargasso Sea in the Bermuda Triangle before migrating to Europe on North Atlantic currents, could wriggle their way up the route.

Mr Higginson said: "Supporting the migration of the eel is vital in assisting this endangered species to increase its population.

"Together with a further eel pass recently installed further upstream, the project has now opened up over 7.7 miles (12km) of the river for migrating eels."

The pass has been installed as part of the trust's Three Rivers Restoration Project, funded by Severn Trent Water, which aims to improve the environment of Rainworth Water, Vicar Water and Bevercotes Beck.

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