See if you can spot the man-made weir on the River Darwen at this location, and the ‘fish pass’ that was built on it in 2018: a structure that allows fish to swim up and over the weir, and has opened up a further 2.5 km /1 ha of river habitat to fish.
Answer the questions to receive the precise Lat and Long coordinates!
Question 1
What effects can weirs and other man-made, in-river structures such as culverts, fords, locks and sluices, have on fish populations?
- They can prevent fish from accessing good quality feeding, breeding and sheltering habitat, can make it easier for predators to catch them, and can prevent different populations of fish mixing together, which can reduce their genetic strength. (N 53° 43.333)
OR
- Fish are quite fond of these features because they’re a great place for social gatherings, and they help prevent nuisance fish from the neighbouring stretches of river from visiting their patch. (N 53°43.142)
Question 2
Did you know? The water that comes out of your taps (if you’re connected to the water network) comes from rivers? That’s one of the reasons why it’s SO important to not waste water. If you did one of these simple things, you could save 6L of water per minute. Which do you think it is?
- Watering your garden plants with a watering can, rather than a hosepipe (W 002°28.410)
OR
- Turning off the tap when you brush your teeth (W 002° 28.550)
Enter your chosen coordinates HERE to see if you answered both questions correctly!