The Delliefure Burn Project - Spey Catchment Initiative

Reviving an ecosystem and building climate change resilience by reconnecting a burn with its floodplain.

Situated on the north side of the Spey, about four miles downstream from Grantown-on-Spey, the Delliefure Burn is a small tributary that had seen significant degradation of a 400m reach due to historical agricultural practices, including straightening the burn and adding embankments.

Electro-fishing data collected by the Spey Fishery Board gave us strong evidence that the habitat within this section of the Dellifure Burn was poor for Atlantic salmon and trout and that restoration was needed to improve conditions for fish and other species.

During 2021 we delivered a multi-benefit project to improve in-river conditions and reconnect the burn with its flood plain, helping to reduce flood risk and create new wetland habitat.

Project Delivery: What did we do?

The Delliefure Burn project was completed in September 2021.

We lowered two sections of the embankment to encourage higher flows to overtop on to the flood plain more frequently, storing water for longer and depositing nutrient and carbon-rich sediment, and also spreading the potentially harmful energy of flood flows out of the channel.

We installed large woody structures (tree root ball and section of trunk) in the channel, jump-starting natural river processes to form more diverse habitat and encourage flow through the embankment breaches.

We also created large, shallow wetland areas on the flood plain beside the burn. These pools retain water and are topped up during higher flows creating wetland and wet grassland habitat ideal for many invertebrates, amphibians and birds.

What are the benefits of this project?

1. New habitats have been created for our wildlife

There is now more wetland and wet grassland habitats on the flood plain – which is fantastic for a range of plants and animals, especially wading birds which have been caught on camera traps feeding around the pool edges.

Natural river processes are gradually altering the straightened section of the burn, enhancing in-channel structural and habitat diversity, with new gravel banks and deeper pools starting to form. Fish numbers are being monitored each year, and there are early indications that young salmon are increasing in the project reach.

2. More water is held in the catchment

After wet periods, more water is now held on the flood plain for longer, acting as a reservoir to replenish the burn and counter low flows during drought conditions as well as helping to reduce flood risk downstream in the catchment. This is good for the river, it’s wildlife and communities in the face of climate change.

3. Carbon storage is increased, helping to mitigate climate change

This project helps to maintain water-logging of peaty soils to improve carbon storage. And by increasing the frequency of flood plain wetting there has been an increase in particulate and nutrient deposition on the flood plain, enhancing organic carbon storage.

4. Integration with farming

The project was carried out with the full support of the farmer and land owner and has not had much effect on day to day activities on the farm. In fact, the cattle who continue to graze the flood plain will help to stop too much vegetation encroaching around the wetlands and keep the habitat suitable for waders and other birds.