Restoration of Gravel Bed in the River Wey for Fish Spawning

S G Poulsom & Sons of Pitt Farm, Frensham applied for £3,375.65 towards the costs of a project in partnership with the Wild Trout Trust, the River Wey Trust and with advice from the Environment Agency.  Fishing is an important income stream for the farm, and the gradual depletion of natural fish stocks has been identified.  A partnership project with the farm, the Wild Trout Trust, the River Wey Trust and with advice from the Environment Agency, will restore the gravel on the riverbed.  Upstream a mill blocks the natural flow of gravels, so over many years these have become depleted. Local volunteers will reinstate different grades of gravel this summer, as well as adding some woody materials to help stabilise them, to encourage water plants to grow and to provide spawning areas for wild trout and other species living in the river.