Bridgetown Weir Fish Passage Improvements

Descriptions

Through the Strategic Exe Weirs programme Westcountry Rivers Trust aims to deliver bespoke fish passage solutions at all River Exe barriers to maximise migration flow windows and restore natural movements of native migratory fish. Working in partnership with the River Exe and Tributaries Association, and supported by the Environment Agency and South West Water, the Strategic Exe Weirs team has ambitious plans to develop and deliver bespoke projects for multiple man-made barriers throughout the catchment, as part of efforts to secure a sustainable future for native migratory fish populations and associated fisheries. Bridgetown Weir acts as a gateway to highly important recruitment habitat in central Exmoor National Park, particularly for Atlantic salmon and sea/brown trout. It is the aim of this current project to ensure every migratory salmonid that reaches Bridgetown Weir has the opportunity to continue upstream migration and maximise utility of the pristine recruitment habitat in the upper River Exe. The current project also aims to ensure downstream migrating fish have maximum opportunity to continue down the main river, while considering local constraints. We are seeking a suitably qualified and experienced contractor to undertake the following elements: 1. Installation of a Larinier Fishway within an existing pool-traverse fish pass channel. 2. Excavation and reinforcement with stone of the downstream pool and adjacent river bank to accommodate the Larinier Fishway. 3. Install stone to effectively extend the weir toe inline with the Larinier Fishway to maximise attraction efficiency. 4. Level the weir crest to reduce competing attraction flows. 5. Installation of seasonal fish screen infrastructure across the leat entrance. 6. Installation of a maintenance walkway for the fish screen. 7. Installation of a fish chute adjacent to the fish screen, underfilled with stone. 8. Excavation and reinforcement with stone of a small pool to accommodate the fish chute outlet. WRT are under obligation to ensure compliance with principles of transparency, equality and non-discrimination. As such WRT is conducting a formal open tender process in which all bidders will be treated equally, with no discrimination and through a transparent process. We look forward to receiving your tender bid.