19.09.07

Fishtastic new home!

Parc Cwm Darran Country Park has been a busy place during the last couple of years and a visit this summer will allow visitors to see some of the changes that have been made.

The lake is one of the park’s main features and over the last 30 years it has been naturally ‘silting up’ (filling with lots of mud, shale and silt), changing its appearance and making it harder for people to fish. So, it was decided to drain the lake to create a wetland area for wildlife and to have an open water area.

When all the water in the lake was taken out, (to the rangers surprise) lots of fish had to be re-homed temporarily in the quarry pond until the lake was refilled. A sandstone dam wall has now been built below the wetlands to help trap the soil and sand that gets washed into the lake from the river, so hopefully the lake will not be silting up again soon!

As part of the project, 20 fishing platforms made from recycled plastic were also installed (including two all ability platforms). All the work on the lake is hoped to make the lake as good for fishing as it has been in the past.

Other works around Park Cwm Darran have included the upgrading of 5½ km of cycle routes to tarmac surfaces and the construction of a ‘trim trail’ exercise/assault course alongside the lakeside.