The Spey Catchment Initiative (SCI) is delighted to announce that the Allt Lorgy River Restoration Project has been named as a joint winner of the first-ever Scottish Gamekeepers Wild Salmon Conservation Award. This prestigious accolade, inaugurated by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association’s (SGA) Fishing Group, was presented at the Moy Country Fair on the 2nd of August 2024 by MSP Fergus Ewing.
The award recognises exceptional efforts to conserve wild salmon, a species now officially classified as endangered in the UK. The Allt Lorgy River Restoration Project, completed in 2012, was selected for its innovative approach to rehabilitating a historically straightened section of the Allt Lorgy burn, a tributary of the River Dulnain near Carrbridge. This project was one of the first of its kind in Scotland, using a “stage zero” approach, which involved removing all man-made constraints to allow natural river processes to return.
Key interventions included lowering and removing embankments, installing large woody structures to absorb energy from the water and prevent erosion, and reintroducing gravel upstream to form natural features. Additionally, native woodland was restored along the floodplain, with broadleaf trees now thriving and self-seeding. The results have been remarkable, with the Spey Fishery Board recording a four-fold increase in juvenile Atlantic salmon numbers since the project’s completion. These increases reflect the enhanced habitat quality and diversity, with new pools, riffles, and reconnected floodplains providing excellent conditions for salmon breeding and growth.
Roger Knight, Chief Executive of the Spey Catchment Initiative, expressed his pride in receiving the award: “Winning the inaugural SGA Wild Salmon Conservation Award is a tremendous honour. This award underscores the significance of the Allt Lorgy Project in pioneering innovative, science-based approaches to river restoration. It is great that our small team is recognised for their tireless work to help restore habitats for the benefit of wildlife and the communities that rely on them. We look forward to continuing to work closely with estates and their staff to help deliver larger landscape-scale projects to make our rivers more resilient to climate change and support the recovery of our iconic Atlantic salmon.”
Duncan Ferguson, Operations Manager at the Spey Catchment Initiative and Spey Fishery Board, highlighted the importance of collaboration in the project’s success: “Receiving this award is particularly meaningful as it recognises the crucial role that landowners and estates play in our conservation efforts. Their support, knowledge, and forward-thinking are vital in developing and delivering successful projects. Since its completion, we have hosted over 1,400 people at the project site. The Allt Lorgy project highlights the importance of working together with estates and their staff, not only to support Atlantic salmon but also to bolster the rural economy. Imagine what could be achieved if this model was rolled out at a catchment scale. Sharing the success of this project will hopefully inspire others to deliver similar initiatives, further benefiting Atlantic salmon across Scotland.”
The Allt Lorgy project’s success was made possible by the support of Seafield Estates, SEPA, and the Cairngorms National Park Authority. As Atlantic salmon face increasing challenges from climate change and habitat degradation, the work being done at Allt Lorgy provides a valuable model for future conservation efforts across the country.
The Spey Catchment Initiative is proud to have its work recognised by this award and remains committed to its mission of enhancing and restoring the river ecosystems within the Spey catchment for the benefit of wildlife and the local communities.
Main Photo: Fergus Ewing MSP (left), with Shaun Macdonald of the River Carron Conservation Association, Roger Knight, CEO of the Spey Catchment Initiative and Hugh Hynd of the SGA Fishing Group. Image courtesy of JT Lenscraft Photography
