- Pitlochry fish ladder
The Pitlochry fish ladder is a
fish ladder next to the Pitlochry Power Station on theRiver Tummel nearPitlochry ,Perth and Kinross ,Scotland that allowssalmon to travel upstream during the breeding season.Construction details
The ladder was constructed as a result of a 1943
Act of Parliament which laid a duty of care on theNorth of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to preserve fish stocks in the waterways encompassing its power schemes.It was completed in 1951 alongside the dam for the
hydro-electric power station as part of theTummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme .The fish ladder consists of 34 separate pools each 1.6 feet (50 cm) higher than the last and covering a distance of 339 yards (310 m).cite web|url=http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst8993.html|title=Pitlochry Fish Ladder|author=|publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland|date=|accessdate=6 November|accessyear=2006] Each pool has a 3.3 feet (1 m) opening below the water level to allow the fish to pass to the next pool; a continuous flow of water maintains the water level in the pools. [cite video| people =| year =2006| title =Countryfile| url =| medium = Television series| location =| publisher = BBC] There are three larger pools which allow the fish to rest during their ascent, and one of these has an underwater viewing area with a glass wall and CCTV cameras to allow the public to observe the fish making their climb during the breeding season. The ladder is equipped with a
fish counter which allows the number of fish making the journey each year to be recorded. Installed in 1952, it was the first of its type in Scotland;cite web|url=http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/commissioned_reports/F01NB02.pdf|title=Trends in Atlantic salmon: the role of automatic fish counter data in their recording
author=Eatherley, D.M.R., Thorley, J.L., Stephen, A.B., Simpson, I., MacLean, J.C. & Youngson, A.F|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|date=2005|accessdate=6 November|accessyear=2006] in 2006, 7,238 fish were recorded travelling up the ladder.cite web|url=http://www.pitlochryanglingclub.co.uk/news.html|title=News: 2006 Salmon Season|author=|publisher=Pitlochry Angling Club|date=2006|accessdate=6 November|accessyear=2006]The dam across the River Tummell at Pitlochry (that led to the formation of
Loch Faskally ) was constructed between 1947 and 1950 as part of the Board's Tummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. Without the fish ladder it would have been an impassable obstacle for the migrating salmon.Notes
External links
* [http://www.tdsfb.org/FishCounts.htm Fishcounts Pitlochry Dam] Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board
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