RWF win silver award and celebrate the River Worth Restoration project.

RWF members and Paul Gaskell of the Wold Trout Trust (2nd from right )celebrate our Silver Trout in the Town accreditation on Low Mill Bridge.

​​​River Worth Friends attended a double celebration on Wednesday. We marked the completion of the River Worth Restoration Project and proudly received the Trout in the Town Silver Accreditation. There was a good turnout for the event at the Old Parcels Office at Keighley Railway Station.

​​Trout in the Town (TinTT) is a scheme run by the Wild Trout Trust encouraging local groups to improve the river habitat for brown trout, River Worth Friends are proud to be one of only five groups to have received the silver accreditation award from TinTT. 

​Some may say “Who cares if there are trout in the river”, but in looking after the trout we are improving things in many other ways. Good habitat for trout is good for the bugs in the river which is good for the birds and other animals that depend on the bugs and so on up the food chain. So a healthy trout population means a healthy river and bank side. The River Worth is something Keighley should be proud of and treasure.
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Worth in winter, the Walk below Woodhouse bridge, what's not to like.

The silver accreditation is a recognition of the hard work of River Worth Friends and it’s volunteers. We run regular work parties on the river and our stalwarts turn up in all weathers, we rely on them.

Aire Rivers Trust, KWVR and RWF, Keighley Big Local and local councillors celebrate the River Worth Restoration Project on Low Mill Bridge.

​The River Worth Restoration Project was led by the Aire Rivers Trust but involved many local bodies; there was funding from Keighley Big Local and the Towns Fund but much of the work was done by volunteers from Aire Rivers Trust, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway environment team and River Worth Friends. There were four main strands to the project:

• Improving access along the river by enhancing some of the dilapidated footpaths that are part of the Worth way.
• Investigation of the health of the river with the help of citizen science volunteers. There were three parts to this:
  • Outfall Safari to pinpoint all the sewage outfalls into the River Worth catchment to aid subsequent monitoring of pollution.
  • Weir Walkers to locate all the weirs on the catchment. Weirs inhibit fish passage, affecting the health of the population.
  • Riverfly monitoring. Sampling the bugs in the river, they act like the canary in the coal mine, indicating pollution incidents.
• In river adjustments to improve the fish habitat. For example felling and pinning trees into the river at Damems to create gravel bars suitable for fish spawning.
• Raising public awareness of the river. This included signage for the footpaths, name plates on the river bridges and an interpretation board at the train station plus various events around the town.

One of the main outcomes of the project is that the river can be a haven not just for wildlife but also for the communities along its banks, a place for relaxation and reflection. 
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A fisherman getting some relaxation and reflection on the Worth below Dalton Lane Brridge.