09/02/2005 - Brown trout,
sea trout and salmon are being tempted back
into an improved area of the River Yealm by
the removal of hundreds of laurel bushes.
The riverbank on one stretch of the River
Yealm was so overgrown with laurel that native
trees and shrubs were being totally shaded
out and river life was suffering. Fish need
some shade, but too dense a canopy cuts out
light and reduces biodiversity.
An Agency team has been working flat out
in recent weeks clearing laurel bushes from
almost half a mile of bank between Popples
Bridge and Lotherton Bridge near Lee Mill
in the South Hams. To date they have removed
several tonnes of material that was blanketing
the river bank
"It has made a tremendous difference
and will help create a much greater natural
diversity of waterside and aquatic plant life.
The cleared areas will encourage native trees
and scrub to recolonise the river banks, both
improving the availability of native habitats
and food for juvenile trout and salmon"
said Robert Hurrell for the Environment Agency.
The improvements, carried out by the Agency’s
operations delivery team, is part of a Salmon
Action Plan for the River Yealm that aims
to increase the number of fish successfully
spawning in the river. The River Yealm is
the smallest of seven local salmon rivers
– each with its own Salmon Action Plan. The
improvements will also help native brown trout.
Originally from Asia Minor to Iran, Bulgaria
and Serbia, the cherry laurel was first recognised
in the UK in about 1576. It is an abundant
evergreen that layers easily and produces
dense leaves that shade out all smaller plants.
Some of the laurels on the banks of the Yealm
were between 15 – 20ft high. It is thought
they may have been originally planted as ground
cover for game birds some 40+ years ago. Smaller
branches and leaves have been ‘chipped’ on
site and used to build up an access track
for the work while larger timber has been
taken away for use by the landowner.
Any laurel re-growth will be sprayed with
an appropriate herbicide during the summer.
This further treatment will be carefully carried
out due to the close proximity to water and
this action should keep the laurel fully in
check.
In time native trees including young silver
birch, willow, alder and oak will colonise
the riverbank promoting greater natural diversity
within this reach of the River Yealm.
