Opening the way for nature
Over 20 projects now in progress across Yorkshire’s rivers to tackle artificial barriers to fish migration.
2025 has seen the Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership (GYR) move forward with great pace.
There are currently, around 20 live projects, led by various delivery partners, under the ‘umbrella’ of GYR. The Partnership opened its first window to access funding from the £12,197,469.57 core project funding in May 2025. In addition, the partnership has provided funding for early project development and staffing, as well as offering specialist training courses, to enable partners get projects off the ground. It’s often the resources and early project stages that are the most difficult to fund. The purpose of this funding is to accelerate programme delivery and build capability within GYR partner organisations to support them in achieving the wider GYR Vision.
In Staithes, the North York Moors National Park Authority recently tackled the first barrier fish encounter on their migration from the coast up Staithes Beck. By removing a multi-pipe ford and installing a series of arched culverts, 2.25km of river has been opened up, ensuring low flow passage for fish and enabling river sediment to move through the Staithes Beck more naturally.
Before and after photos of the multi pipe ford at Staithes Beck
Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust worked in collaboration with Forestry England to remove a disused concrete sleeper vehicle ford. The structure had created very shallow water levels and a head drop of 0.5m, making it likely impassable for most fish. It was also affecting geomorphological conditions in the beck, forming an unnaturally deep, slow-moving section of water upstream. Removing the sleepers proved to be a quick-win solution, opening up 7km of watercourse, reconnecting high-quality spawning habitat and improving in-channel habitat for both invertebrates and fish.
Before and after photos of the vehicle ford at Staindale Beck
To mark the start of barrier-removal projects across Yorkshire, the Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership came together in September 2025 at Hirst Mill in Saltaire to share the work already being delivered by partners.
“We can’t tackle artificial barriers or recover rivers at scale alone. Working in partnership, however, allows us to operate differently, expand our ambitions and collectively we can deliver what’s right for the environment and, ultimately, what is right for our customers too.”
By 2043 Great Yorkshire Rivers aims to have addressed all artificial barriers negatively impacting fish populations in Yorkshire, enabling the recovery of native fish species and helping rivers and their communities to thrive.
For the next five years (2025 – 2030) Yorkshire Water has secured £11.4m as part of its environmental programme, with an additional £10 million match funding targeted through the Great Yorkshire Rivers partnership. The £21 million of investment will open up over 500 km of river habitat across Yorkshire.
This marks the start of an exciting journey for rivers in Yorkshire – watch this space!