After picking Emma up this afternoon from a sweltering day surveying for invasive weeds, I popped over to Irvine to have a look at work on the weir not far upstream from the estuary.

The council have opened the gates on the weir to lower the water level behind the weir, taking advantage of the already low summer levels.  This is the ideal time of year to conduct this essential maintenance, as it is least likely to have effect on migrating salmon, and fry have hatched from their redds and no longer risk desiccation, able to move out of harms way.  The photos below demonstrate the low water level, taken at low tide.  It’s encouraging to see the local authority planning work so as to minimise damage to the local ecology.

Helen.

Weir gates have been opened

Bone dry fish pass

Looking across the weir it is difficult to see the small channel of water on the far side