I dropped in at the Black Rocks in Kilmarnock before heading to Dean Ford to see what progress had been made since my last visit.
Black Rocks was in good flow and it wasn’t long before I saw a salmon leap at the falls. I didn’t have long but saw several more and a lot of trout before heading to the ford.
A nice but coloured salmon heading upstream
Black Rocks has been a great success but I will remind the Club to keep the bushes cut back. Not only do they obscure the view, they also provide cover for those who would get up to poaching activities.
Onwards to the Dean Ford to see the progress. The first two culverts were in place. The one on the right bank has the fish pass in it and the other 3 will have gravel traps to break up the concrete bed.
Two of the four culverts that will form the bridge are now in place. There’s still a good bypass channel for the fish to migrate upstream
Detail of the gravel traps that will be in 3 of the 4 culverts
The fish pass channel can be seen in the bed of this culvert. I did comment on the first design I saw and I think it has been modified slightly to provide a resting pool. There may be more cross sections to come but I’m not sure at the moment
More info to follow as I get it.
