On the instructions of the Board, ART staff have been working to secure agreements between famers and landowners to fence key areas within the catchment. Whilst we still await positive responses from landowners on the Culroy Burn, we are hopeful that the land agents will secure approval from their clients. Elsewhere, almost 4km of fencing has been agreed with landowners and ART now have instructions to take this forwards and get the fencing erected. This is great news and a very positive commitment from the Board.

The Drumgrange Burn near Patna where I saw salmon parr in the lower reaches. This burn should really benefit from fencing.

The Meikleholm Burn is again in need of fencing and will benefit from planting a few trees (native broadleaves) if the landowner agrees. Defending against climate change needs to start now as temperatures are predicted to rises by about 4ºC in the next 50 years. Having seen the fish kills on the Stichar and Girvan that may be linked to water temperatures, it is easy to understand why planting is essential.

Some of the problems with areas currently  unfenced are access and slope. We have identified that bridges across several burns will be required or culverts may need reinstalled to allow fish to migrate upstream. On other burns, green engineering may be appropriate combined with tree planting to reduce erosion in severe cases. The Board will look at each requirement individually and may choose to support this work in addition to the fencing.

Overall this should bring great improvements on several burns and hopefully in time we will be able to demonstrate that fish numbers are improving. The photo below illustrates a huge improvement at the Purclewan Burn following fencing erected in 2012. This was a severely impacted, silty cattle watering point. It is now narrowing with good marginal fish cover and reduced silt. Water quality is improving.

Two years after fencing was erected, this habitat has improved dramatically. We hope to electrofish this burn this year to assess the fish population which was poor not so long ago.