Carloway River Project: Waterway Gravel

Purpose of Grant

To distribute gravel on a number of waterways as a means of improving the salmon spawning redds on the Carloway River in Lewis.

Project Description

The grant allowed Carloway Estate Trust (the local community landowner and registered charity) to undertake a practical project which saw the import of 90 tonnes of suitably-sized rounded gravel. This gravel was distributed across a stretch of the Carloway River with the aim of improving spawning habitats for wild salmonids. The river was selected as an area in need of improvement by the Outer Hebrides Fisheries Trust (OHFT).

The Carloway River discharges into the sea estuary of west Loch Roag, which has a high density of fish farming activity run by The Scottish Salmon Company. The Trust worked in close partnership with the Western Isles District Salmon Fishery Board and the Outer Hebrides Fisheries Trust, both of whom were on hand to provide expertise and advice on gravel size and site location. An external contractor local to the community was sought to provide and transport the gravel and members of the Trust’s angling subgroup, as well as general volunteers, were brought in to distribute the gravel and monitor the spawning grounds. The project duration was 12 months from August 2021 post project juvenile sampling took place between May and August 2022. It is estimated that around 30 people directly participated in the project activities.

Budget

A grant of £9,251.00 was approved and covered the entirety of the project costs.