A £50,000 project to remove a redundant weir at Glinger Burn near Longtown is intended to help critically endangered European eels and other fish move freely along the river. The work matters because barriers can prevent migration and spawning, while eels have declined by 90% over the past 30 years.

West Cumbria Rivers Trust, funded by the Environment Agency, expects diggers to dismantle the weir over two weeks before creating natural “step pools” to improve habitat. The trust says eels can struggle to pass the structure in low flows, risking injury, and hopes similar restoration work will also benefit salmon and trout.