Case study:Inchewan Burn Bed restoration
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Project overview
Status | Complete |
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Project web site | http://therrc.co.uk/rrc_case_studies1.php?csid=52 |
Themes | Hydromorphology |
Country | Scotland |
Main contact forename | John |
Main contact surname | Monteith |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | |
Contact organisation web site | |
Partner organisations | |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
Monitoring surveys and results
Lessons learnt
Catchment and subcatchment
Edit the catchment and subcatchment details
(affects all case studies in this subcatchment)
Catchment
River basin district | Tay |
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River basin | Inchewan |
Subcatchment
River name | Inchewan Burn |
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Area category | |
Area (km2) | |
Maximum altitude category | |
Maximum altitude (m) | |
Dominant geology | Siliceous |
Ecoregion | Great Britain |
Dominant land cover | Urban, Woodland |
Waterbody ID |
Site
Name | Birnam |
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WFD water body codes | |
WFD (national) typology | |
WFD water body name | |
Pre-project morphology | Single channel, Straight, Embanked, Revetments |
Reference morphology | Step-pool, Pool-riffle, Single channel |
Desired post project morphology | |
Heavily modified water body | true |
National/international site designation | |
Local/regional site designations | |
Protected species present | |
Invasive species present | |
Species of interest | |
Dominant hydrology | Quick run-off |
Dominant substrate | Bedrock |
River corridor land use | Urban, Woodland |
Average bankfull channel width category | 2 - 5 m |
Average bankfull channel width (m) | |
Average bankfull channel depth category | Less than 0.5 m |
Average bankfull channel depth (m) | |
Mean discharge category | |
Mean annual discharge (m3/s) | |
Average channel gradient category | |
Average channel gradient | |
Average unit stream power (W/m2) |
Project background
Reach length directly affected (m) | 100 m0.1 km <br />10,000 cm <br /> |
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Project started | 2007/09/01 |
Works started | |
Works completed | 2007/11/01 |
Project completed | |
Total cost category | 50 - 100 k€ |
Total cost (k€) | 100 k€100,000 € <br /> |
Benefit to cost ratio | |
Funding sources | SEPA, Perth Council, SNH |
Cost for project phases
Phase | cost category | cost exact (k€) | Lead organisation | Contact forename | Contact surname |
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Investigation and design | Perth Council | John | Monteith | ||
Stakeholder engagement and communication | Perth Council | John | Monteith | ||
Works and works supervision | Perth Council | ||||
Post-project management and maintenance | Perth Council | ||||
Monitoring | Perth Council | John | Monteith |
Reasons for river restoration
Measures
Structural measures
| |
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Bank/bed modifications | Native tree planting, placement of boulders, concrete base for boulders. Bed lined with Reno (gabion) mattresses to prevent downcutting - overlapped to form a run/drop longitudinal profile, for energy dissipation. |
Floodplain / River corridor | |
Planform / Channel pattern | |
Other | |
Non-structural measures
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Management interventions | |
Social measures (incl. engagement) | |
Other |
Monitoring
Hydromorphological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Biological quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Physico-chemical quality elements
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic
Element | When monitored | Type of monitoring | Control site used | Result | ||
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Before measures | After measures | Qualitative | Quantitative |
Monitoring documents
Image gallery
Additional documents and videos
Additional links and references
Link | Description |
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Supplementary Information
Edit Supplementary Information
Through the village of Birnam the burn is constrained by revetted stone banks and property walls. The burn is known to flood the village at the bridge on occasion.
It is clear that the major infrastructure works necessitated the realignment of the channel and the protection of the new bed and banks. The concrete walled right bank provides the foundation for the A90 road piers, whilst the gabion walled left bank needed less structural protection. To prevent downcutting by the burn, the bed was lined with Reno (gabion) mattresses, overlapped to form a run/drop longitudinal profile, the aim was to dissipate energy over the numerous drops.
The Reno mattresses forming the bed have rotted and split open in places. The stone fill has moved or been washed out and the remaining wire has become an effective fish trap, snaring any salmon able to jump the downstream drop. As far as John Monteith is aware no Salmon have spawned in the 2+ km reach above the A9 in recent years.