Loch of Strathbeg

River restoration projects; current and future

Dr David Beaumont Head of Reserves Ecology, Scotland for birds • for people • for ever 196 reserves 196 reserves (131,127 in UK ha, 0.54% of UK)

owned leased agreement RSPB Nature Reserves in Scotland Triggers for Restoration

• RSPB Conservation Strategy • RSPB management plan objectives • Statutory Unfavourable Condition • Demonstration / advocacy – e.g. WFD River and wetland restoration projects to date – (actual and potential)

ACTUAL POTENTIAL

Mersehead (Southwick Water Insh Marshes (R.Spey feeder) floodplain) Loch of Strathbeg (Savoch Lochwinnoch (Water Burn) meadows/managed floodplain) Baron’s Haugh (Clyde The Loons / Loch of Banks washland) (Orkney) Mill Dam (Shapinsay) Loch Gruinart (Gray River)

Loch of Kinnordy (Head of The Reef, Tiree (An Fhaodhail) catchment) Tay Reedbeds (Floodplain Loch Spiggie (Shetland) management) Vane Farm (Loch Leven Loch Ken / River Dee Marshes floodplain) Mersehead Farm

• Acquired 1993 • 95ha of arable farmland, 70ha of rotational grassland • 70ha of saltmarsh and sand dune habitats • 712ha of mudflat • Target species: Breeding waders and wintering waterfowl Mersehead Farm

Mersehead Farm Mersehead, arable to wetland Changes in habitats from 1975 - (RSPB acquisition in 1993)

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Arable 69 78 89 93 12 15 13

Grass Pasture 92 83 72 68 89 40 35

Wet Grassland 0 0 0 0 69 115 120

Reedbed 0 0 0 0 1 1 3

Conifer 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 Plantation Numbers of breeding waders at Mersehead RSPB Nature Reserve

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Redshank Curlew Oyster-catcher Snipe Breeding Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

Lapwing

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Loch of Strathbeg

• SSSI, SPA and Ramsar site – 28 Interest Features – 13 in Unfavourable condition of which 5 directly related to water quality Water Quality is Poor and Ecological Condition is Moderate at best • All historic evidence points at a decline. • On site and catchment problems - This should be an even better place for birds (and people !) than it is • Surface area c 206 ha • Catchment area 5300 ha • 70% land use agriculture • Shallow, eutrophic • “Unusual water chemistry” • Important conservation site • SPA • Ramsar • SSSI • RSPB Reserve – 900 ha+ • Future NNR 1954 1999

60% of water inflow to Loch through Savoch Burn

Next steps

• Medium term - fixing the whole Loch • Condition Assessment Study and Options Appraisal being undertaken in 07/08 (Cost £30K plus in-kind contribution from SEPA) • Ultimate cost (if required) – ££ millions ? • RBMP process and SEPA work in catchment • Site condition monitoring Strathbeg - catchment-wide issues • RBMP process – looking forward to its outputs – real effects • RSPB’s view is that this is necessary but not sufficient i.e. site restoration is also needed • SEPA work in Savoch catchment – a good example of targeted work in conjunction with site restoration Insh Marshes

• 540ha Marsh/Fen • 125ha lochs and water bodies • NNR, SPA, SAC, SSSI, RAMSAR • In the top 5 sites on mainland UK for breeding waders and spotted crake • 16 NSC and 2 RDB wetland plants • Flood storage • The best example of a semi-natural floodplain in UK ?

Insh Marshes Reserve broad habitat categories

Management issues

• Maintaining favourable conditions • Grazing • Scrub control • CONSTRAINTS TO NATURAL DYNAMICS Flood banks Internal ditches D13 D15

D12 D17 D16

D9 D18 D14

D22

D12 D7 D19 D23 D11 D13 D25

D14 D24 D6

D15 D26

D16 D27 D4 D12

D10 D11 D13 D25 D9 D8 D14

D7 D15 D26 D4 D6 D16 D27 D2

D3 D5 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5

D29 D28 D26 D27 D9 D14 D8

D25 D15 D10

D24 D16 D11 D13 D33 D32 D12 D23 D17 D31 D18

D34 D19 D20 D30 D21 D22 D36

D35 Most recent years of ditch management (records from 1973) Location of Nuphar pumilar (Least Water‐lily) Is it good enough?

• Surely the goal should be to restore natural dynamics?

• This would provide THE benchmark for floodplain restoration

• BUT – how would this fit with the site designation and interest features? Lochwinnoch

• SSSI • Highly modified floodplain • Detailed history - managed as water meadow system till early 20th Century • Continued as seasonally flooded wetland until early 1970’s • Now >100ha shallow eutrophic loch with low biodiversity interest

Constraints to restoration

• Costs – sometimes, multi million pound projects (Thanks to funders of the projects describe – SNH, SEPA, etc.) • Designations and institutional inertia • Why the rush ? The general deterioration of wetland resource in UK is a rapid phenomena - Look at species declines • Time from restoration idea to action – on average 15yrs+ And that’s with a keen landowner willing to contribute! Loch of Kinnordy

• Been talking about this for years • The site is in trouble • There is no reason to think that catchment measures alone will lead to recovery • Getting things moving – two year study • Cost - £60K (50% SNH 50% RSPB) Loch of Kinnordy

• SSSI, SPA • 11 Interest Features • 7 in Unfavourable condition including the Loch itself • Historic recorded changes – decline, no sign of recovery yet • Like Strathbeg, there is a pretty strong consensus as to what is wrong yet it has taken years to get any movement on tackling these Questions ?