Great Yorkshire Rivers (GYR) - a partnership between Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency and The Rivers Trust – is starting its next phase of funding of over £21 million investment to support river health and fish migration and open up over 500km of Yorkshire rivers.

Formed in 2022, Great Yorkshire Rivers aims to work in collaboration with partners and local stakeholders to remove physical barriers, often a legacy from the region’s heavy industrial past, that are obstacles to fish moving freely within rivers and preventing them reaching breeding sites.

The funding supports local river health groups, charities and organisations helping them to break down barriers, restore connectivity and revive ecosystems in the region’s rivers and waterways.

Physical and political obstacles have already been overcome in the last decade with over 100 historic barriers to fish passage removed including the Hirst Mill Weir on the River Aire, Stocksbridge Weir on the River Don and Bowers Mill Weir on the Black Brook, near Halifax.

For the next five years (2025 – 2030) Yorkshire Water has secured £11.4 million as part of its environmental programme, with an additional £10 million match funding targeted through the Great Yorkshire Rivers partnership. This will deliver a total of £21 million investment to open up over 500 km of river habitat across Yorkshire.

The partnership has now formalised their shared vision at the start of the next five-year funding period which is:

• By 2043 Great Yorkshire Rivers will have addressed all artificial barriers negatively impacting fish populations in Yorkshire, enabling the recovery of native fish species and helping rivers and their communities to thrive.
• Fully removing redundant structures, often associated with mills, and heavy industries that were powered by the region’s waterways, is the preferred method as this delivers the greatest ecological and community benefits. It also reduces the owners’ maintenance liability and improves public safety.

Tim Hawkins, Director of Strategy & Regulations, Yorkshire Water, said:

“Yorkshire Water installed a number of fish passes to improve fish migration but realised that we could achieve so much more working with like-minded organisations that share the same ambitions. We began our informal collaboration with the Environment Agency and Rivers Trust in 2009 to build on a foundation of trust and expertise.

“In 2022 this became a formal partnership and we were challenged to see how ambitious we could be. Two years on, we are making great progress, as illustrated by the recent news of salmon breeding once again in the river Don. But we have lots more to do and we are keen to expand the partnership and the vision with a desire to make a big difference.

“Yorkshire Water is committed to this long term to the 2043 date because we see this as a flagship for strategic partnership with us, the Environment Agency and Rivers Trust and a long-term vision, gives stability and the ability to plan ahead for longer terms solutions.

“Investment in the environment is a strategic pillar for Yorkshire Water, we can’t tackle artificial barriers or recover rivers at scale alone. Working in partnership, however, allows us to operate differently, expand our ambitions and collectively, we can deliver what’s right for the environment and ultimately, what is right for our customers too.”

GYR operates as a collaborative network of 12 delivery partners - including Aire Rivers Trust, Natural England, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Canal and Rivers Trust - sharing resources and expertise to tackle high-impact barriers.

Jenni Balmer, Deputy Director for Nature Recovery, Environment Agency commented:

“The GYR represents a template for other water companies to replicate through their own Price Review process to deliver more initiatives across England to address this national challenge.”