Case study:River Calder Large Wood Structure installation

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Location: 57° 3' 51.95" N, 4° 10' 12.88" W

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Fisheries, Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology
Country	Scotland
Main contact forename	Penny
Main contact surname	Lawson
Main contact user ID	User:Penny Lawson
Contact organisation
Contact organisation web site	http://www.speycatchment.org
Partner organisations	Spey Fishery Board, SEPA, Pitmain and Glenbanchor Estates, Cluny Estate
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Installing LWS at the upstream end of the project reach.

Project summary

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With funding from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Spey Catchment Initiative took measures to improve habitat for fish and other aquatic biodiversity in the River Calder near Newtonmore. Poor salmonid juvenile productivity had been linked to sub-optimal substrate and sediment processes. As there is very little riparian woodland along the river, Large Wood Structures (LWS) were installed to mimic natural dead wood and kickstart hydro-morphological processes to increase natural erosion and deposition, encouraging formation of higher quality, more diverse habitats in the channel and potentially providing water quality enhancements.

During August 2020 a total of 29 structures formed from locally harvested, whole trees from a nearby windblown plantation, were secured into the river bed or banks at carefully chosen locations along approximately 1.6 km of the Calder. Medial and bar apex structures were constructed where the river was showing signs of partially formed features. Cbec eco-engineering were contracted to do the initial survey and design, and local contractors G Campbell did the groundworks.

To make the improvements sustainable in the long term, the Spey Catchment Initiative is also creating over 22ha of new riparian woodland covering both banks and encompassing the LWS reach and an area further upstream. Low density planting of native species and anticipated regeneration will hopefully ensure an on-going natural source of dead wood input, as well as providing habitat and NFM benefits.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Baseline monitoring already carried out includes ground-based and aerial photographic surveys, timelapse photography of one LWS, drone topographic survey, macro-invertebrate survey, electro-fishing and salmonid redd counts. Water temperature loggers have been installed upstream and downstream of the project reach.

The surveys will be repeated at appropriate intervals. The redd survey done in November 2020 revealed new salmon redds associated with 12 of the structures - a very promising early result.

Lessons learnt

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Image gallery

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district Scotland RBD River basin River Spey Subcatchment River name Calder Area category 100 - 1000 km² Area (km2) Maximum altitude category 200 - 500 m Maximum altitude (m) Dominant geology Ecoregion Dominant land cover Moorland/heathland Waterbody ID Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category 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 Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources 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 Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information