Campaigns | The River Taw

Campaigns

Our Constitution clearly states that the main aim of RTFCA is to maintain, improve and develop the indigenous fishery of the River Taw and its tributaries. As an Association of like-minded members we are committed to protecting and enhancing the status of the water quantity and quality in the River Taw and its tributaries, its ecology, natural fish and dependent wildlife and habitat. RTFCA also represents the interests of riparian owners and anglers of the River Taw and its tributaries.

A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP between the River Taw Fisheries Association*, the Westcountry Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency.

The project had its beginnings in March 2007 when Alan Sullivan, an independent consultant commissioned by RTFA*, completed his Overview of Proposed Supplementary Atlantic Salmon Hatchery and Preliminary Investigation of Fish Passage on the River Taw.

This led the RTFA* Committee to pursue the access over weirs route. The project gained momentum in November 2007 following completion of the Overview to Fish Passage on the River Taw System by Greg Armstrong, the EA National Fish Pass Officer, which provided weir-by-weir recommendations.

The project has involved a huge amount of work, and we thank the Westcountry Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency for all they have done on our behalf, as well as all the RTFA* members who contributed to the two fundraising efforts which provided the seed capital for accessing the rest of the funding.

Each weir has presented its own challenges which led to this phrase being coined – There is no such thing as an easy weir; just a weir with a different degree of difficulty. Fish access at all 12 weirs on the main system has been improved.

* At the time of this campaign the River Taw Fisheries and Conservation Association (RTFCA) was known as the River Taw Fisheries Association (RTFA).

The Twelve Weirs

The following list shows each of the weirs and the year of completion:

Head Weir (Mole) - 2010
Clapworthy (Bray) - 2011
Irishman's Wall (Upper Taw) - 2011
Skaigh (Upper Taw) - 2011
Colleton (Upper Taw) - 2013
Sticklepath (Upper Taw) - 2013
North Wyke (Upper Taw) - 2013
North Molton (Mole) - 2014
Rashleigh (Upper Taw) - 2014
Filleigh (Bray) - 2014
Eggesford (Upper Taw) - 2015
North Tawton (Upper Taw) - 2015b

We must now let nature and the salmon and sea trout life cycle take their course. We are very hopeful that the improvement to fish passage, along with all the habitat work being done on the river, will have a significant beneficial effect on our river and its fish stocks.

Taw River Improvement (TRIP)
Project 2012-2015

A £1.86 MILLION PROJECT funded through the Catchment Restoration Fund.

The aim of this project was to deliver improvements in ecological status across the catchment under the Water Framework Directive. This includes areas of fisheries management, land management - agriculture, land management - biodiversity and data and surveying.

The TRIP project was managed by the Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) and run on a partnership basis with 14 partners in total. Fisheries work was co-ordinated by us, the RTFA*, together with the WRT and the Enivironmental Agency.

Thanks to all members of the partnership for a successful completion.

Read the TRIP report here.