Scotland’s environmental watchdog has to come up with a plan to alter a dam on a famous Highland river to allow salmon to pass it more easily

The Spey Fishery Board (SFB) has welcomed the recent re-classification by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) of Spey Dam as a “barrier to fish passage” as this designation places an obligation on the agency to find a solution to the long-standing problems caused by the obstacle to salmon migration.

The board says since the Spey Dam was built 70 years ago, it has severely curtailed access by salmon to the extensive spawning above.

According to the Gazetteer for Scotland, the Spey Dam and Reservoir represent the upper-most part of the Lochaber Hydro-Electric Power Scheme built by the British Aluminium Company in 1944 and now owned and operated by the multi-national Alcan. The dam blocks the River Spey 10 miles southwest of Newtonmore, creating the reservoir.

Roger Knight, Director of SFB, said: “For many years we have been concerned about the negative impact of Spey Dam and the water regime associated with it. These concerns have been amplified by the step-change in juvenile populations as a result of the Dam; there is an abundance of juvenile salmon immediately below the dam, in stark contrast to the scarcity of juvenile salmon above it.

“In fact, in 2014, no salmon fry at all were found above the dam. These issues arise from the performance of the fish pass in the dam and the water flows emanating from it, compromising the ability of adult salmon to migrate up-river and the ability of salmon smolts to descend on their way to sea. Juvenile salmon have also passed through the screens at the off-take, from where water is diverted west to Fort William, with some dying as a result of being pinned against the mesh. In addition, fish are barred from accessing the historically important River Markie tributary.”

He said the local fishery board was very pleased that SEPA has now formally recognised the problems associated with the dam and, in the latest River Basin Management Plan for Scotland, had classified both the structure and the area above the dam as ‘poor’.#

As a consequence, by 2027 there would have to be significant improvements to ensure that Spey Dam and the surrounding habitat comply with the provisions of the relevant European legislation under the Water Framework Directive.

“In essence this means that measures must now be put in place to enable greatly improved fish passage. In time this should lead to a major boost to juvenile salmon numbers in the upper Spey,” he said.

"SEPA has been working closely with Rio Tinto Alcan and the SFB and will continue to review the current operation of this barrier and to ensure that fish can pass freely across it in both directions.At this stage it’s too early to define what work might be undertaken, however this partnership approach will allow us to identify and prioritise measures for improving fish spawning conditions throughout the upper Spey catchment. The process will also give us the opportunity to address any specific concerns with the River Markie tributary and the screening of fish at the Spey Dam itself.”