How does the National Park Authority help to look after the rivers?

The National Park Authority helps care for rivers in many ways. 

Each river passes through many people’s land so it is important to work with as many farmers and landowners as possible.

The National Park Authority has organised projects to improve the quality of the two main rivers in the National Park, the River Esk and the River Derwent.

Over three years, around a quarter of a million pounds was spent on each river to make it better for wildlife and for people.

These projects provided money for work such as;

• Tree planting along river banks.
• Clearing debris and obstructions from the river channel.
• Fencing to prevent farm animals damaging the river banks.
• Making proper places where farm animals can reach the river to drink.

On the River Esk, a lot of work was has been done to make the river a better habitat for salmon which return to the Esk every autumn to breed. Gravel was added to the river bed in some areas to provide the right sort of conditions for the for the fish to spawn (lay eggs) and special fish ladders were put in where the salmon have to jump up weirs on their journey upstream. There are even salmon counters to count and measure the salmon to help to find out how many are in the Esk. Find out more about the amazing life of a salmon here. 

The National Park Authority has also set up a project to help another important animal - the freshwater pearl mussel.

Freshwater pearl mussels used to be common in rivers throughout Britain. However many have disappeared and now they can only be found in a small number of rivers, one of which is the River Esk in the North York Moors National Park. These are the last surviving pearl mussels in the whole of Yorkshire and there are only a few individuals left. The pearl mussels in the Esk have not produced babies for over 30 years and it is likely that they will become extinct from this river in the next 25 years unless action is taken to help them.

Reasons why pearl mussels are disapppearing:

• Loss of suitable habitat - adult pearl mussels bury themselves in gravel on the river bed and they need the gravel to have lots of clean, oxygen rich water flowing through it so they can breathe. In some rivers soil is washed into the water and blocks the gaps between the pieces of gravel so water can't flow through it and young pearl mussels can suffocate and die. 
• Drop in the numbers of salmon and trout - young pearl mussels spend part of their life attached to the gills of salmon or trout,  so if there are less of these fish in the river, pearl musssels will find it harder to find a host fish.  
• Pearl fishing - freshwater pearl mussels produce small pearls inside their shells and for many years people used to capture the mussels to find the pearls to make into jewelry.
• Pollution - freshwater pearl mussels need very clean, well oxygenated water.

The Pearl Mussel and Salmon Recovery Project

The National Park Authority has set up a project to help the pearl mussels. This project aims to:

1. Improve the habitat in the River Esk
2. Help the pearl mussels to breed and increase in number
3. Increase the numbers of salmon and trout
4. Encourage farmers to help look after the river and the river banks  

Helping the pearl mussels to breed

Some of the old pearl mussels from the River Esk have been found and taken to a special laboratory near Lake Windermere in the Lake District. Here they are being looked after very carefully in large tanks and the progress of the young pearl mussles is being monitored.  After about 5 years they should be old enough to survive in a river and they will be brought back to the River Esk and released.  Hopefully by this time the habitat in the river will be suitable for the young pearl mussels and they will continue to grow and breed.