Atlantic salmon are returning to the River Don following an absence of around 150 years, with the leaping fish now being seen at Aldwarke weir on the eastern edge of urban Rotherham.

Extraordinary footage capturing the fish’s efforts to jump the weir was taken by 18 year old Oscar Downing, whose father, Anthony, is an environment officer at the Environment Agency.

The presence of salmon at Aldwarke has been made possible by the new hydropower scheme, built and run by Barn Energy, four kilometres downstream at Thrybergh weir. Opened in October 2015, the scheme includes a specially designed passage to enable salmon, other fish and eels to swim upstream.

Following the Industrial Revolution, pollution and the introduction of numerous large weirs were both factors in the salmon’s demise in the river.

Dramatic improvements in water quality over the last 20 years mean UK rivers are the healthiest they have been in modern times. This includes building a series of fish passes through the weirs that have blocked the passage for fish. Migratory fish such as salmon and sea trout are now able to swim freely as far upstream as Rotherham.

Mark Simon, Chief Executive of Barn Energy, said:

“It’s fantastic to see salmon at Aldwarke, so soon after our new fish passage was opened. Whilst generating renewable electricity is our number one priority, we also wanted to see salmon safely navigate upstream towards Sheffield. It’s wonderful that they are now doing so, and we hope that we will see a lot more fish up and down the River Don.”

The Environment Agency and organisations including the Canal and River Trust, Don Catchment Rivers Trust, Sheffield City Council and Yorkshire Water are currently working on further fish passage and habitat improvement projects that will enable the iconic fish to return to their historic spawning grounds within and upstream of Sheffield.