Welcome
The Ayrshire Rivers Trust (ART) is a Scottish Registered Charity SC030426, based within the Auchincruive Campus of the Scottish Agricultural College in Ayr. ART was formed in the year 2000, and aims to reverse the significant decline in local freshwater fish stocks through improved scientific management and long-term restoration of our local rivers.
The immediate goal of the Trust was to raise sufficient funds to employ a full time biologist to begin the work. This was duly carried out, and the Trust's first biologist began work in February 2002.10 years on the trust now employs two full-time biologists and one part-time administrator. It has become clear to the Trust that there are many opportunities to enhance the environment in and around our rivers, both to improve fish stocks, and also to bring wider biodiversity benefits, including invasive weeds and water voles.
Latest News
May 15, 2012
I revisited Newmilns Weir yesterday during the spate to see how the banks were holding up and how the run and pool looked from an angling perspective . The right bank at the top of the run looked as though it may suffer a small amount of erosion in the near future but nothing to worry about. The left bank appeared to be fine with only a small amount of sediments having been washed away... [more]
May 11, 2012
After a few dry weeks we finally have small spates on all our rivers today. This is the first rise in water levels for a few weeks and that of course means that any smolts will be heading downstream en mass. I headed to Dam Park to have a look at Nethermills Weirs this afternoon and not surprisingly there was a cormorant fishing between the two... [more]
May 09, 2012
Contractors are out and about on our rivers spraying Giant Hogweed at the moment. We started a bit later this year due to delays with the scoring process and Interreg procurement rules but I don't think this is a bad thing as most plants are either this year's or last year's seedlings that germinated after spraying took place in 2011... [more]
May 03, 2012
This wasn't some secret or lurid hobby that I was developing my skills in, but rather the latest technique for assessing barriers to fish passage. SNIFFER stands for the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum For Environmental Research and they have developed this tool to allow river managers and professionals to assess potential barriers to fish migration... [more]
May 03, 2012
It's a case of weir today and gone tomorrow! As you will see from the pictures below, Darvel's crumbling weir has now been demolished. [caption id="attachment_2156" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The new run into the old weir pool. This looks great from both a conservation and an angling perspective "][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2157" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="What remains of the weir on the right bank will help to stabilise it"][/caption] To say this was a Darvel Weir is perhaps misleading as it was located between Newmilns and Darvel forming the boundary between the two town's angling club waters... [more]
