Partner feature - Don Catchment Rivers Trust
In 2025 the Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT) made the wonderful discovery of salmon breeding in the River Don for the first time in Over 200 Years.
We recently caught up with Matt Duffy, Fishery Habitat Officer at DCRT to learn more about where the focus now falls for the trust when it comes to addressing barriers to fish migration.
Atlantic salmon parr caught during electrofishing by DCRT
“With salmon now successfully returned to the River Don, including to Sheffield, the Don Catchment Rivers Trust is turning its attention to the next phase of river restoration. The recent discovery of a salmon parr confirms that salmon are breeding naturally in the Don for the first time in over 200 years, marking a major milestone for the catchment.
Our focus is now on improving downstream passage so young salmon (smolts) can migrate safely to sea. Many weirs still delay or block this journey, increasing the risk of predation. Simple measures such as creating notches in weirs can significantly improve survival and help ensure salmon return as adults to spawn.
With the main river now largely reconnected, we are also working to improve access further upstream, prioritising key barriers on the Don and its tributaries, the Rother and Dearne, and partnering with landowners in headwater areas that act as vital ‘powerhouses’ for fish populations in the wider river system.
Together, this work will strengthen fish populations across the catchment and help our rivers build resilience in the face of pollution and climate change.”
A great example of the work taking place across the catchment by DCRT is the partial removal of Stocksbridge Weir in 2023 on the River Don, that was funded by the Open Rivers Programme, Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water. By tackling this stone block weir DCRT were able to open up 1km of watercourse upstream and 3.75km downstream for fish to move through.
Stocksbridge Weir after works were completed
Ben Gillespie, River Resilience Manager at Yorkshire Water and Matt Duffy, Fishery Habitat Officer at Don Catchment Rivers Trust, in conversation about the work of Great Yorkshire Rivers.
For anyone interested in learning more bout the history of the River Don, at The Rivers Trust 2025 autumn conference for the wider movement, Matt Duffy presented a fascinating lightening talk that not only discussed what the trust is working to achieve in the catchment but also the story of the River Don.
Matt Duffy, Fishery Habitat Officer at DCRT - presentation on the River Don at The Rivers Trust Autumn Conference