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SEPA end of year success with ‘first of its kind’ weir removal in Scotland

It was the last project to be completed by the WEF team this year after the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) commissioned Ayrshire Rivers Trust (ART) to remove the weir prior to the winter months setting in. The work was carried out collaboratively with ART and two landowners – the British Geological Survey (BGS) and a private landowner. 

Due to the weir’s proximity to a BGS geophysical station, used for monitoring global earthquakes and the earth's magnetic field, its removal required a careful approach. The use of heavy machinery was not viable as monitoring instruments are particularly sensitive to vehicles and vibrations. 

SEPA and ART took the opportunity to explore the use of a low-impact method to remove the weir without affecting how the instruments perform – the first time this method has been used for a weir removal in Scotland. 

By pouring expanding grout into holes drilled into the weir, the land was not exposed to unnecessary vibrations and pollution into the watercourse was minimised.  

After leaving the grout to expand and weaken the concrete, ART removed the larger cracked pieces and then took meticulous care hand-drilling the remaining concrete from the weir, making it easier and quicker to remove from the watercourse. 

The low-impact technique brought multiple benefits compared to using heavier machinery, including being cleaner and quieter. It was also the first time WEF supervised the work allowing the project to be delivered quicker and at a lower cost. 

Improving Scotland’s rivers for migratory fish

Prior to works, fish were rescued upstream and downstream from the weir. This showed healthy populations of salmon, brown trout and eel downstream, while upstream of the weir the numbers were much lower proving the impact the weir was having on their movement. 

Julia MacPherson, SEPA’s River Restoration Specialist for the Water Environment Fund, said: 

“The Davington Weir removal was a great project to work on because we were able to achieve positive improvements to the burn and surrounding area in a short space of time. The channels around the rock now allow fish to swim up through to the valuable upstream habitat giving our wild fish a better chance of thriving as the climate changes.  

“This project perfectly rounds off another productive year delivering WEF projects to communities across Scotland, showcasing a unique technique that has the potential to be used in other WEF projects in the future. It is a testament to the essential work SEPA support with WEF, enabling more rivers to be restored and reopened to fish across Scotland.”  

Struan Candlish, Fisheries Biologist for ART, said: 

“ART were pleased to win the tender for the removal of Davington Weir at Eskdalemuir on the Esk Catchment. Using demolition grout to remove a weir is a first for Scotland and will no doubt become an invaluable tool in removing barriers to salmon, trout and eel migration and restoring the ecology of damaged rivers. 

“There were many lessons from this project that we will take forward and employ across Ayrshire to reconnect fish to their native habitats. Removing barriers is one of the quickest ways of increasing fish populations and helps meet Scotland’s environmental targets.” 

Claire Brown, BGS Eskdalemuir Site Manager, said:   

“WEF representatives willingly assisted with every step of the process ensuring that the requirements of the BGS site were met. As a result, the weir was successfully removed in October 2024 and SEPA are now in the process of hiring a contractor to complete the last phase of the work to improve habitat with riverside tree planting.  

“BGS are delighted to have been involved in this project knowing that removal of the weir will have a positive environmental impact, improve habitat quality and leave biodiversity in a measurably better state for the future. As a result of such collaborative working BGS and SEPA (WEF) have gone some way to allowing Davington Burn to fulfil its ecological potential.”

Notes to editors

Images available upon request from the media team. Please email the media team.

• SEPA administer WEF on behalf of the Scottish Government and work in partnership with local authorities, land and structure owners, fishery trusts and conservation bodies to deliver an annual programme of river restoration projects.  
• Working in partnership with local authorities, WEF is used to deliver projects that will derive the greatest benefit to Scotland’s rivers, wildlife and neighbouring communities.
• WEF partners do this by restoring damaged river corridors to enhance the ecological value of the river and improve public amenity and well-being opportunities, including the reduction of flood risk.
• More information about the Water Environment Fund is available at Water environment fund | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)