The Thames Anglers Conservancy and West Thames Fisheries officers joined forces to put seven tons of new gravel into the spawning channel at Penton Hook as part of an ongoing project.

New habitat in the Channel

Ten volunteers from TACworked with  Environment Agency West Thames Fisheries Officers Matt Drew and Stuart Keable  to place seven tons of new gravel into the channel on Penton Hook lock island  to improve spawning habitat for a wide range of species including chub and dace. The work is part of an ongoing joint project between the EA and TAC which stated in 2011to deliver WFD outcomes and promote angling on the Thames.

The one ton bags were delivered onto the island by barge and TAC volunteers used barrows, rakes and shovels to place within the channel.

TAC volunteers and the EA with the gravel

The day followed the channel clearance operation carried out as a joint venture several weeks earlier when many in river obstructions were removed.

A section of channel before habitat improvement works started in January

All the gravel  was put in by hand along a silty section of the channel using wheel barrows and shovels. The gravel was a mixture of 10, 20 and 40 millimetre in size.

Raking the gravel into the spawning channel

We would like to thank all the volunteers who joined us at intervals during the day and the West Thames team for providing much of the equipment and welcome refreshments.

TAC