The Easter Beltie Report: a tale of rapid restoration in Deeside

“A week after the works were completed, Atlantic salmon had spawned at 15 sites in the new channel…”

A detailed report on our three-month long, £220,00 Easter Beltie river restoration project near Torphins last September is now available. The project transformed the middle reaches of a degraded agricultural stream into a rich complex of wetland habitats, bringing many benefits for biodiversity, water quality and climate resilience in the catchment. The site is being used to evaluate and demonstrate river valley restoration techniques.

Managed by the Dee Catchment Partnership, working with the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board, the project created:

– A new 2 km meandering watercourse
– Natural bank and bed profiles and full floodplain connection 
– Five in-stream wood structures
–  100 m of Atlantic salmon spawning habitat
–  Riparian areas and wetland fringes to be planted with native trees
–  Improved riparian connections within the river system
– New instream wetlands covering 5 ha
– Six islands of varied size and height
– Backwater habitats in the old channel
– Ephemeral wetlands enhanced by wader scrapes
– Opportunities for community access via integration with a new cycle path project
– A research project to evaluate the ecological benefits

Download the full report here: