of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



has been erected upon rather than in the down-stream face. It is a 

 ladder of four complete steps, having a widened entrance which, in very 

 low conditions of the water, constitutes a fifth step. The structure is of 

 concrete. The steps are of different heights, the two upper being per- 

 pendicular jumps of 18 inches ; the three lower being set on a slope, the 

 actual rises being, in descending order, 12 inches, 10 inches, and 9 inches. 

 These united heights give a total rise of 5 feet 7 inches. A raised para- 

 pet runs down each side of the ladder, but there is no slap in the crest 

 or sill of the weir, as is required by Schedule Gr of the Salmon Fisheries 

 (Scotland) Act, 1868. By measuring the depth of water at points on 

 the sill, I was able to detect a difference of 1^ inches between the level 

 of the sill at the top of the ladder' and the slightly higher level at other 

 points. At the time of my visit 2 inches of water was the depth at top 

 of the ladder and half an inch on the rest of the sill, but the absence 

 of a proper 6-inch slap causes a very deficient water supply in the ladder 

 itself. The series of shallow basins between the steps are, in my 

 opinion, quite inadequate to enable the fish to leap the steps. They 

 contain no depth of water when the river is low, and during a flood their 

 extremely small dimensions and the consequent proximity of the steps 

 to each other will cause a very unnecessary amount of broken water. 

 An equally serious fault, in my opinion, is seen in the formation of the 

 top of the ladder. At this point (where the sill of the dam should have 

 been cut down six inches) the flat surface of the sill, already referred to, 

 has been carried out to an extra extent, so that above the last step of 

 the ladder an almost level platform extends for a distance of 7 feet 4 

 inches. If an ascending salmon could overcome the difficulties of the 

 shallow basins and closely approximated steps, it would therefore be 

 stranded on this long flat surface, which clearly constitutes a superadded 

 obstacle. Owing, however, to the manner in which the whole ladder is 

 raised above the surface of the dam face, I believe ascending fish will, 

 when a suitable water flow obtains, overcome the obstacle of the cauld 

 by making use of the angle caused by the raised edge of the ladder and 

 the dam face on the right side of the ladder rather than in the passage 

 which has been prepared for them. 



I cannot, therefore, regard the Beltenmont fish-pass as in any sense 

 efficient, and I should like to take this opportunity of expressing my 

 regret that when the construction of fish-passes is contemplated, an 

 early supervision of the plans is not in every case sought from the 

 Fishery Board for Scotland, so that the provisions of the regulations 

 may be adjusted without loss of money and time. 



KlRTLEBRIDGE CAULD. 



This cauld, which is above Beltenmont and is the property of Mr. 

 Irving of Burnfoot, has no fish-pass, although the proprietor has caused 

 a platform of stone upon which to form a pool to be constructed at the 

 left side. The masonry of the cauld itself is considerably out of repair, 

 water percolates through almost the whole substance of the dam, and 

 the sill is very irregular. The slope of the down-stream face I estimated 

 as about one in three. 



In view of the course which the stream takes, I think it inadvisable to 

 construct a pass at the left side of the channel ; moreover, to form an 

 efficient pool-pass would, in view of the deep water immediately below 

 the cauld, be a somewhat costly process. I would recommend, rather, 

 that, after the level of the sill has been more accurately fixed, a 6 -inch 

 slap be excavated at a point 10 yards from the left end of the cauld, and 

 the slap carried down the face of the cauld. In order, however, that 



