With climate change expected to increase winter rainfall, there are growing calls to slow the flow of water into and along our rivers. As part of this effort, rivers are being reconnected with their floodplains, intercepting and dispersing water before it enters the main channel.  

On the Allan Water in Perthshire, Alison Baker from the Atlantic Salmon Trust, explains how they’ve been working with the local landowner to hold water on the natural floodplain for longer, without reducing the farm’s productivity.  

After heavy rain, drainage ditches were discharging directly into the river, taking away all the nutrients and sediment, while also increasing the rate at which river levels would rise,” says Alison. 

The Scottish Farmer: Alison Baker, Restoration Director, Atlantic Salmon Trust.

By blocking these ditches, Alison and her team have been able to divert water back onto the floodplain, where a network of newly created scrapes and ponds intercept it, raising the local water table, slowing the water’s journey into the main channel and reducing the risk of downstream flooding.  

The water discharging into the river is also cleaner and carries a reduced sediment load. This benefits salmon, while wading birds and a variety of other species are benefiting from the newly created floodplain habitats, all happily recorded by a network of local volunteers.  

The excavation required at the Allan Water was undertaken by a young local digger driver, exemplifying the way such projects can galvanise new partnerships and foster the development of new skills. Most importantly, the land is still in productive use. 

Although there are areas of wetter ground, the farmer can still graze cattle and it can still be cut for hay, so it's not as if the land has been abandoned,” says Alison. “It's just working more with nature.”  

Jim Sinclair has invested in similar natural flood management on Crookston Farm, without any impact on his farming activity. “All these bits that we've done have made no difference to our stocking rates. Why would you put yourself through worrying about sheep or cattle being drowned when you could fence it off, put trees in, and you can forget that bit of it. There's always something you can do if you really want to.”  

The Scottish Farmer: Floodplain creation at Crookston Farm in the Scottish Borders. 

Individually, these projects might just affect small sections of river, but their real power lies in showing us what is possible. Today, we understand we need healthy river systems and sustainable food production. Happily, there’s no reason we can’t have both. 

The Scottish Farmer: Watch the video.

Creating Riverwoods is a series of real-life case studies providing practical information and inspiration for others seeking to restore the health of their river catchments. To take the next step, visit riverwoods.org.uk/showcase.