Case study:Logie Burn Restoration Project

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Location: 57° 5' 48.29" N, 2° 55' 19.68" W
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Project overview

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Status Complete
Project web site
Themes Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Monitoring, Water quality
Country Scotland
Main contact forename Estelle
Main contact surname Gill
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation Scottish Natural Heritage
Contact organisation web site http://www.snh.gov.uk/
Partner organisations SEPA
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project
encompassing the following
projects
No
The Logie Burn before (left; upstream end of first meander looking downstream) and after (right; same section of first meander)

Project summary

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The Logie Burn is graded as poor for its ecological status due to diffuse sediment and nutrient inputs in addition to morphological alteration. These issues are related to agricultural and drainage improvement over many decades that have also led to a deterioration of water quality in Loch Davan into which the Logie Burn flows.

During the 1960s, two meanders in a lower part of the channel were cut-off through the creation of a straight 187 m reach leading to a localised loss of morphological and habitat diversity. The restoration project aimed to re-connect the two old meanders that had filled in with fine sediment and organic material but which essentially remained intact. The primary purposes of the re-connection were to restore morphology, improve habitat quality in the National Nature Reserve, improve water quality and reduce sedimentation in Loch Davan, enhance riparian habitat diversity and demonstrate this meander restoration to river managers. It is expected that the reconnected meanders and newly created backwaters will help to capture nutrient rich fine sediment and in turn reduce its transfer into Loch Davan.

A monitoring program conducted by the James Hutton Institute, commenced in July 2011 to assess how the morphology, habitat, phosphorous storage and the flood attenuation capacity of the reach change over time. Topographical and sedimentary surveys were undertaken before and after the re-connection and will be repeated annually. In addition, stream flow is being continuously monitored to allow assessment of the flood attenuation capacity and to help understand the morphological changes observed. In 2012, a control reach upstream was established to facilitate comparison of changes in the impact (re-meandered) reach with those that occur within the existing, degraded stream.

The primary funder for the project was the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). If you are interested in applying for funding to deliver other projects in Scotland, visit SEPA's Water Environment Fund webpage (http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/water_environment_fund.aspx). The River Restoration Centre would like to thank Estelle Gill and Stephen Addy, from Scottish Natural Heritage and The James Hutton Institute respectively, for providing the information and photographs for this case study.

Monitoring surveys and results

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The first three years of monitoring are published in the following journal article:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857419300370

The data from this study are available from PANGAEA:

https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.898301

Monitoring work funded by the Scottish Government (RESAS) at the site is ongoing to give a long term (10 years) assessment of the project.

Lessons learnt

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Image gallery


July 2011
August 2011
October 2011
May 2012
June 2012
October 2012
July 2011
August 2011
October 2011
October 2012
July 2011
August 2011
October 2011
April 2011
November 2012
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Catchment and subcatchment

Catchment

River basin district Scotland RBD
River basin Dee (Scotland)

Subcatchment

River name
Area category
Area (km2)
Maximum altitude category
Maximum altitude (m)
Dominant geology
Ecoregion
Dominant land cover
Waterbody ID



Site

Name Logie Burn
WFD water body codes 23372
WFD (national) typology Mid-altitude, Small, Calcareous
WFD water body name Logie Burn / Loch Davan
Pre-project morphology Straightened, Single channel
Reference morphology Low gradient passively meandering, Single channel
Desired post project morphology
Heavily modified water body No
National/international site designation UK - National Parks, Special Area of Conservation"UK - National Parks, Special Area of Conservation" is not in the list (All - multiple designations across the site, International - Biosphere Reserves, International - Geoparks, International - RAMSAR site, International - World Heritage Site, EU - Biogenetic Reserves Network, EU - European Diploma Site, EU - Special Area of Conservation, EU - Special Protected Area, EU - WFD protected area (drinking water, shellfish etc.), ...) of allowed values for the "Site designation" property.
Local/regional site designations National Reserve
Protected species present Yes
Invasive species present No
Species of interest Brook lamprey, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), Brown trout (Salmo trutta)
Dominant hydrology
Dominant substrate Fines, fine gravel, organic material
River corridor land use Improved/semi-improved grassland/pasture, Broadleaf/mixed woodland (semi natural)
Average bankfull channel width category 5 - 10 m
Average bankfull channel width (m) 5.65.6 m <br />0.0056 km <br />560 cm <br />
Average bankfull channel depth category 0.5 - 2 m
Average bankfull channel depth (m) 0.480.48 m <br />4.8e-4 km <br />48 cm <br />
Mean discharge category 0.1 - 1.0 m³/s
Mean annual discharge (m3/s)
Average channel gradient category Less than 0.001
Average channel gradient 0.0016
Average unit stream power (W/m2) 3.44 3.44 W/m² <br />


Project background

Reach length directly affected (m) 250250 m <br />0.25 km <br />25,000 cm <br />
Project started
Works started 2011/09/09
Works completed 2011/10/15
Project completed
Total cost category
Total cost (k€)
Benefit to cost ratio
Funding sources Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage

Cost for project phases

Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname
Investigation and design
Stakeholder engagement and communication
Works and works supervision
Post-project management and maintenance
Monitoring The James Hutton Institute Stephen Addy



Reasons for river restoration

Mitigation of a pressure Land drainage
Hydromorphology Continuity for organisms, Continuity of sediment transport, Quantity & dynamics of flow, Structure & condition of riparian/lake shore zones, Substrate conditions
Biology Macrophytes, lampreys, Atlantic salmon
Physico-chemical Nutrient concentrations
Other reasons for the project Demonstrate this type of restoration to river managers


Measures

Structural measures
Bank/bed modifications Re-profiling, construction of bunds, Creation of revetments, Bank stabilisation, Bank protection
Floodplain / River corridor Creation of backwaters, Creation of wetland, Livestock fencing, Fencing
Planform / Channel pattern Re-meandering
Other The meanders were cleared of sediment, vegetation and organic debris
Non-structural measures
Management interventions
Social measures (incl. engagement)
Other Information board erected


Monitoring

Hydromorphological quality elements

Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result
Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative
Flow velocities Yes Yes No Yes Yes Awaiting results
Quantity & dynamics of flow Yes Yes No Yes No Awaiting results
Width & depth variation Yes Yes No Yes Yes Awaiting results
Substrate conditions Yes Yes No Yes Yes Awaiting results
Continuity of sediment transport Yes Yes No Yes No Awaiting results

Biological quality elements

Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result
Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative
Fish No Yes Yes No No

Physico-chemical quality elements

Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result
Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative
Nutrient concentrations Yes Yes No Yes Yes Awaiting results

Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic

Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result
Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative


Monitoring documents



Additional documents and videos


Additional links and references

Link Description
http://www.hydrology.org.uk/assets/2012%20papers/Addy 01.pdf Addy, S.; Ghimire, S. and Cooksley, S. (2012) Assessment of the multiple benefits of river restoration: the Logie Burn meander reconnection project
http://www.snh.gov.uk/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/?id=648 Scottish Natural Heritage (2012) Logie Burn back to its meandering ways
http://http://www.therrc.co.uk/2012%20Conference/Outputs/Gill%20Final.pdf Gill, E.; Cooksley, S.; Janes, M. and Reid, C. (2012) The Logie Burn Restoration Project: In the RRC 13th Annual Conference
http://https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857419300370 Addy, S. and Wilkinson, M.E. (2019) Geomorphic and retention responses following the reconnection of a sand-gravel bed stream. Ecological Engineering, 130. P 131-146. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.01.013
http://https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.898301 Addy, Stephen; Wilkinson, Mark E (2019): Geomorphic, discharge and substrate river restoration monitoring data from the Logie Burn, Scotland (2011 to 2014). PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.898301

Supplementary Information

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