WATCH: Nature has been given a helping hand on Badenoch river
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Sharp-eyed visitors to scenic Glen Banchor near Newtonmore will have noticed quite a bit of activity recently.
The new deer fences and water gates across the river are all part of an ambitious drive to improve conditions for wildlife in the glen and help future-proof the River Calder and the Spey catchment downstream against the challenges of climate change.
In partnership with Pitmain and Glenbanchor Estates and Cluny Estate, the Spey Catchment Initiative has recently completed a project to fence off three separate enclosures reaching around 4km up the glen.
Gaps have been left between the enclosures to minimise interference with deer movement.
The fencing will become less visible as the trees behind it grow up, and is only needed until the woodland inside is sufficiently established.
The ground has been selectively planted with native tree species such as willow, birch, rowan and Scots pine, with some areas left unplanted.
The water gates at either end of each woodland section are an innovative design by contractors Taiga Upland, customised to withstand the pressure of the high flows characteristic of the River Calder.
Spey Fishery Board Operations Manager Duncan Ferguson said: "Protecting woodland schemes with rivers running through them is always a challenge, but we are confident that these extra heavy duty water gates are up to the task.
"This project is leading the way with trialling a new design, and we look forward to seeing how they stand up to the upland environment over the years.’
As the trees mature and are supplemented through natural regeneration, a new mosaic of woodland and grassland totalling about 22 hectares in area will form along the river corridor.
The woodland will improve conditions for the salmon for which the Spey is so well known, as well as for other plants and animals in and around the river.
The felled trees which the Spey Catchment Initiative installed in the river last summer have already subtly changed flow patterns to form new spawning and refuge areas for breeding salmon.
Over time the woodland will provide new natural dead wood in the river to keep the cycle going, add nutrients from leaf litter and boost the food source from increased populations of insects.
The new habitat is expected to attract a greater variety of birds and other terrestrial species, and volunteer help has been offered to monitor dipper numbers over the long term.
Rivers such as the upper Calder which have bare open banks are particularly vulnerable to increasing peak water temperature due to climate change, a particular threat to salmon and trout which are very sensitive to warmer temperatures and the lower oxygen levels which result.
Re-establishing trees can help cool the water by shading, and their roots, along with dead wood in the channel, provide cover and refuge areas by encouraging formation of deeper pools.
Woodland in catchments also has the potential to moderate the effects of both drought periods and flood events by acting as a ‘sponge’ to hold water back and slow down rates of run-off.
Organisers have said large scale projects such as this only happen with strong support from landowners, funders and agency partners alike.
Ewan Harris, agent for Pitmain and Glenbanchor Ltd, commented: "This is just the sort of project that the estates were keen to be involved in, working collaboratively to restore such an important habitat."
The ‘Re-wooding the River Calder’ woodland creation project was funded by the NatureScot Biodiversity Challenge Fund and trees were donated by the Woodland Trust.
SCI is a public/private partnership, established in 2010 to encourage closer partnership working and to take forward key actions from the Spey Catchment Management Plan.
It is run by a steering group of representatives from its partner organisations (NatureScot, SEPA, the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Spey Fishery Board, Scottish Forestry, Forestry and Land Scotland, Highland and Moray councils, Diageo, NFUS, RSPB, the Woodland Trust and Jahama Highland Estates.
The group coordinates action and engages with the wider stakeholder group of landowners, managers, anglers, industry and communities on a raft of topics.
