The following is a June 2024 programme update for Save the Spring, a partnership between the River Dee and Atlantic Salmon Trust, supported by the University of Stirling and University of Highlands & Islands, Inverness.
Habitat restoration plans progressing for the River Muick priority area
With wild Atlantic salmon smolts now in the rearing programme, June 2024 has been a time for planning upcoming habitat restoration activity and important maintenance at existing sites.
The habitat team carried out important maintenance works on native tree planting sites in the Gairn and Clunie catchments in June , as well as along the Muick – the Save the Spring priority work area for 2024 and where the programme’s wild Atlantic salmon smolts were captured from. Work along the Muick included Trico application on young trees to prevent deer browsing and maintenance on enclosures, fencing and tree tubes.
Further planning and preparation work continued on several large restoration projects being delivered by the River Dee team elsewhere in the Dee catchment this summer, including projects on the Geldie, Girnock, and Gelder. It is hoped that these efforts will link in with the Save the Spring programme in the future when it expands to other areas.
The River Dee team also sent contracts for ground works out to tender and, following this, evaluation contracts were awarded to appropriate contractors for this summer’s installation works. Pre-work ecological surveys and site mark-outs have been completed.
In order to communicate to the public about what is happening in the River Muick priority area, the River Dee team and Atlantic Salmon Trust got together in late June to record a short video which is now available on the Atlantic Salmon Trust’s YouTube channel.