Habitat Improvement Works Carried Out For June.

As I reported in last months report there was three tributaries that were blocked with wind blown fir trees. The Conrie Burn, Nochty Burn, and the Buchat Burn, these have now been cleared. The photos below show before and after the clearing of the trees.

Site 1, Grid Reference NJ 33292 09205

The Conrie Burn being cleared of wind blown fir trees

The Conrie burn is now running freely once more, note how the river bank fell back into place once the weight of timber was taken off the root of the trees, the whole bank just sprang back.

Site 2, Grid Reference NJ 33997

The Nochty burn where wind blown trees caused a bank collapse. This is where I will plant out willow saplings in the spring of next year.

Site 3, The Buchat Burn, Grid Reference NJ 93848 14990

As we did not get the Redd count done in 2007 this blockage had happened some time ago as there was a very large build up of material, four pallets two old gates and a large amount of vegetation had built up in front of the blockage. After we cleared the blockage we proceeded to trim all the way down the length of the stream cutting the tree branches that were trailing on the surface of the burn

The bottom end of the Buchat burn is now clear of blockages. When time allows I will have a walk over survey of the middle Buchat to make sure there are no more blockages.     

Jim Kerr

River Superintendent