Here is an excellent presentation of the work done on the Rottal Burn, Glen Clova
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/specials/250920-Rottal-reduced.pdf (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/specials/250920-Rottal-reduced.pdf)
Worth a read.
Wow, what a transformation. Looks like a cracking wee burn and one you'll be sure to fish in the coming years Fred when you're a local Fred! :)
This is very interesting work. Quite similar to upper Ettrick by the Tweed Foundation biologists.
Q1 No budget given.
Q2 Grazed banks, no exclusion fencing being shown.
Q3 What was done with the old channel?
Ha !! Just found the other posting on the same topic. Still wonder about the fencing. Perhaps still to be done.
The cattle are fenced in well away from the new burn and the open area you see will be a flood plain, there is still a lot of tree and grass planting to take place and areas will be left as wet land to encourage nesting birds. The cost was about £ 160000. The old burn or canal as was was filled in with some of the earth works from the new burn. The trust hope to see spawning fish this back-end normally up there late November early December
That's a great plan, I get up that way a few times a year,will have a closer look next time.
It is hoped that there will be an information hut erected early next year to help explain and show the amount of work that was undertaken
What impresses me is how the Esk Trust can do all this work, Lunun and Bervie too remember, without any full time staff and related overheads.
Looks like a great project which will have taken a lot of effort to get implemented.
I noticed the EU LIFE project logo on the project information in the link and wondered if they paid a grant for half the cost of the work. Great if they did but you have to wonder at the EU also paying a grant to the netting netting company at the other end of the river :roll: - about £100,000 at the request of the Scottish Parliament last year, I seem to remember, plus an extention to the netting season
Quote from: Part-time on October 25, 2012, 09:35:57 PM
I noticed the EU LIFE project logo on the project information in the link and wondered if they paid a grant for half the cost of the work. Great if they did but you have to wonder at the EU also paying a grant to the netting netting company at the other end of the river :roll: - about £100,000 at the request of the Scottish Parliament last year, I seem to remember, plus an extention to the netting season
yes, you really could not make it up could you.
Interesting work, but if this is not a stupid question, does anybody know why did they straighten it in the first place?
Quote from: jimmul on October 26, 2012, 09:46:16 AM
Interesting work, but if this is not a stupid question, does anybody know why did they straighten it in the first place?
For quite a while the general concensus in much of Europe and elsewhere was that straightening various stream and river courses was advantageous as it theoretically helped to prevent flooding. Farmers and others were also quite enthusiastic as it gained them more workable land. It was discovered far too late that the reverse is actually the case. Natural meanders, apart from being much better habitats for various animals including fish and insects, also slow down the flow of water. Straight courses speed it up.
Very considerable damage was done all over Europe, and a lot of it is only now being tackled.
There is some information here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_engineering (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_engineering)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River)
and if you do a search like this, you will find a lot more;
https://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=straightening+streambeds+why%3F&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1 (https://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=straightening+streambeds+why%3F&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1)
One of the reasons to put the bends back into the Rottal was to slow the water down. Salmon and sea trout have been seen spawning there in the past but all the eggs get washed out because of the power of the water, by slowing the water down less gravel gets washed out into the South Esk which causes less problems for the fresh water pearl mussels further down from the Rottal.
Grants did come from the life project SEPA restoration fund and various different bodies councils ect.
The mouth of the South Esk (netting ) is a problem and they did receive a grant to build a new shed to repair nets, a two week extension was granted by the Scottish government to fish for a further two weeks or catch and extra 1000 salmon which ever came first this was a reward for catching fish at the start of the season to radio tag them to see where they went through out the season and where the spring fish spawn. This extension is not set in stone and the Esk fishery board is fighting the Scottish Government against the extension can't say anymore at this time on that but new should come out in January.
thanks fella's always wondered why they had done it
Jim
This looks like it has been a success. According to the Esks Trust / Board 20 fish have already spawned in the restored Rottal burn. :D
Here is The Esks Trust December 2012 newsletter with more on the Rottal project and some good photos. Glen Clova and the other Angus Glens hold many special memories for me and it's great to see conservation work like this taking place. :D
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/specials/RRC_Newsletter_Dec2012_Rottal.pdf (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/specials/RRC_Newsletter_Dec2012_Rottal.pdf)
Thanks for putting this up Fred, as you can see there is still a large bare area this is to have native trees planted in the spring and after it has all greened up should look like it has always been there.