The River Peffery is rerouted in a major effort to restore natural habitats and and help to reduce the risk of flooding in Dingwall a team led by Richard Lockett carried out the work to restore wetland and 're-meander' the river, he said 'the more we looked into the idea the more we could see the many benefits it would provide'
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The River Peffery has been rerouted in a major effort to restore natural habitats where nature can thrive while at the same time helping to reduce the risk of flooding in Dingwall.
Locally-based Lockett Agri-Environmental consultants started planning for the project from March 2021 with staff beginning work on-site near the railway bridge in July.
The area where the work was completed saw land donated by Viscount Gough of Keppoch and Inchvannie Estate worked on so that channels straightened back in the 19th century could be re-meandered.
That creates a new area of river corridor and floodplain, offering rich habitats where nature can thrive.
By reconnecting the river to its floodplain, the project also hopes to reduce downstream flooding in Dingwall. It means the water has more space to flood into the wetlands and backwaters associated with the re-meandered river, reducing the downstream peak flooding effect associated with simplified or straightened river systems.
Richard Lockett said that by converting an area of grassland to wetland whilst maintaining maximum tree cover, the project has the potential to sequester a significant amount of carbon.
He said: “The spark for the project came from scoping work that Highland Council carried out in 2017.
“This work identified opportunities to restore the River Peffery and reduce downstream flood risk to Dingwall.
“We approached the landowner with the idea for the project and he was very positive. The more we looked into the idea the more we could see the many benefits it would provide, not just in reducing flood risk but enhancing habitat for a wide range of wildlife.
“Getting the funding in place also allowed me to recruit a recent biology graduate, Hannah Humphreys, to work on the project. Hannah now works with me on a full-time basis. Moving a river isn’t a simple exercise but the moment we watched the water get diverted from the old to the new channel is something I won’t forget in a hurry.”
Hannah Humphreys said: “My personal motivation was to help deliver a project in which the environment, the landowner, the tenant farmer and the community were all considered and valued in equal measures.
“I believe this is the only way to deliver sustainable ecological restoration and should be applied to all projects that aim to preserve the natural world, particularly in the Highlands.”
And to mark the conclusion of work they will be hosting an event on the River Peffery Re-Meandering Story – click here to learn more about the event – where there will be a screening of the Riverwoods documentary on October 26 at Dingwall Academy.
The film about the Atlantic salmon is narrated by Peter Capaldi and argues that it needs the support of a rich and diverse landscape that stretches far beyond the banks of the river that supports the fish, amid rising water temperatures and how it is “threatened like never before.”
Mr Lockett pointed out that: “The River Peffery has a very healthy fish population with over 1600 individuals extracted during the fish rescue of the old channel and species found within this stretch of the river included trout, salmon, lamprey and eels.”
