Concerns have been raised over the pollution of a watercourse on the outskirts of Dumfries.
Angler John Powell told the Standard he spotted sediment running into the Glen Burn near Glenkiln, Shawhead when he was out on a walk on Friday afternoon.
He has raised the issue with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) because he was concerned the water, which eventually leads to the River Nith, had been contaminated with silt.
The 71-year-old said: “I went out for a walk on Friday and I noticed at Glen Burn there was an inflow of light brown milky water.
“I took photos of it and followed it downs stream for a mile and a bit.
“This stuff was all in the river and it ran into the Old Water.
“I’ve reported it to SEPA and they came out on Saturday. The duty manager gave me a call as well and they said SEPA are going to attend.
“It seems to be silt that’s in the water. The thing with this burn is it feeds into the Old Water which in turn eventually ends up in the Nith.”
Mr Powell, from Shawhead, is also worried about fish in the burn and the Old Water and has contacted the Nith River Trust.
The retired wagon driver said: “The Old Water has been seeded with brown trout and migratory fish and this could spoil the spawning redds.
“I know the Nith River Trust has seeded the water for migratory fish.
“They need certain conditions to spawn. If this is silt then it will cover up the gravel and clog it up so they can’t reproduce.
“But if they reproduce then the eggs aren’t going to germinate as they will be covered.”
A spokesman for SEPA said: “We were notified by a member of the public on Friday of possible pollution at Glen Burn, Shawhead.
“A SEPA officer inspected the area and confirmed there had been a silt release at this location. An investigation is under way.
“We would like to thank the member of the public who brought this to our attention and continue to encourage anyone who spots signs of pollution to contact SEPA via the Pollution Hotline 0800 80 70 60 or online at www.sepa.org.uk/report.”
Jim Henderson, director of the Nith District Salmon Fishery Board, said: “The Nith District Salmon Fishery Board and The Nith Catchment Fishery Trust are obviously concerned about any incidents of pollution in watercourses within the Nith Catchment and are supportive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in investigating this incident.
“Having spoken to a representative of SEPA this morning I ascertain that their investigations are ongoing at this time and we hope to know more information as they continue.
“In the meantime I would like to thank Mr Powell for his actions in reporting this matter to SEPA.
“It is important that members of the public report any incidents of pollution to SEPA and include photographs.”
