Cleaned up Scottish river that's giving fish a helping hand

Construction of a rock ramp is under way as part of a project intended to return fish to the upper reaches of a West Lothian river in Scotland. The ramp will be built at Howden Bridge as part of a project known as RiverLife in a bid to replenish fish stocks in the Rivers Almond and Avon. It will allow fish including salmon, sea trout, brown trout and lamprey to return to the spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the the rivers. Helping to form pools, runs and easy leaps to help fish negotiate difficult sections of the river.

The River Almond (Scottish Gaelic: Abhainn Amain) runs through areas that once had a considerable amount of heavy industry and shale and coal mining, It had very high levels of pollution. However, with the demise of mining and heavy industry the river has gradually been cleaned. It is being actively repopulated by wildlife, including brown trout and improving runs of both Atlantic salmon and sea trout.