DAA News

Winching Equipment Grant

Dulverton Angling Association (DAA) are pleased to confirm that we have been awarded a Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grant for the purchase of heavy duty winching equipment to assist with habitat improvement and bank maintenance activities. The grant also includes funding for shrubs to replace trees affected by ash dieback, the latter being purchased subject to approval from landowners to plant same.

DAA would like to specifically thank Ms Heather Harley and Ms Vickie Sellick for their invaluable assistance, professionalism and guidance provided during the grant submission process, and also to their Exmoor National Park colleagues, who as consultees, reviewed and approved the application for the FiPL grant. Thanks also to .Gov for enabling organisations such as DAA to make #FiPL submissions of this nature which will really benefit the organisation and its habitat improvement activities. 

Whilst a normal occurrence, recent years have seen increasing number of fallen trees in the river beats
managed by the DAA due, in significant part, to the effects of Ash Die Back disease. This situation is
anticipated to continue for at least the next decade, as affected trees slowly lose their fight against the
disease, die and then fall. Fallen trees in the Exmoor spate rivers regularly contribute to the formation of “Trash Dams” as smaller woody debris and rubbish are trapped, which can lead to undesirable flooding and risk of harm to recreational users of these rivers (including anglers). As advocated by the West Country Rivers Trust (WRT) the DAA’s habitat improvement work looks to manage the impact of Trash Dams by selectively clearing the main river channel where flooding is a concern, whilst retaining as much stable Large Woody Debris (LWD) in the river as possible. LWD is extremely valuable habitat for all aquatic life in the river, supporting increased bio diversity and valuable refuge for juvenile fish from predators.

The winching capability provided by this grant will increase the size of LWD and Trash Dams which can be managed by the DAA’s habitat work parties.