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Habitable Headwaters - Urr
Enhancing habitat and climate resilience.
Like many watercourses across Scotland, many of the headwater burns in the upper Urr system are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change especially where there is a lack of natural riparian vegetation and trees.
One of the primary issues watercourses face is rising water temperatures, as a result of the hotter summers we are seeing year on year.
A GFT review of the river catchment prioritised several key headwater tributaries as in need of riparian tree planting, based on habitat and fisheries survey data. The sites identified where this type of work was most needed to deliver the most environmental benefits particularly for fish.
GFT is working with the Upper Urr Environmental Trust (UUET) to deliver these improvements to the upper River Urr catchment.
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Location of the Urr Water Catchment in Dumfries & Galloway, with priority burns for riparian tree planting highlighted in red.
Thanks to funding from the Blackcraig Windfarm Community Fund, GFT will be leading a 3-year project to carry habitat restoration works with the aim to enhance the climate resilience of the upper river.
The project began in March 2023, with 600 riparian deciduous trees planted by GFT, UUET, SEPA and members of the Urr District Salmon Fishery Board and local community.
Volunteer braving heavy showers to plant trees on upper Urr.
Volunteers planting a range of native broadleaf species including downy birch, alder and willow.
Several other sites on the upper Urr and tributary burns will be planted as part of this 3-year project. Where required, naturally seeded conifers will also be cleared to allow for broadleaf planting to take place.
Areas of sitka spruce that have self-seeded in riparian buffer zones around the Dam Burn.
Tree planting will be just one technique employed to safeguard these headwater burns for the future. Work to carry out peatland restoration will also play a key role in these aims, storing large amounts of carbon and water, ensuring steady flows throughout the summer months.
Habitat improvement work will also be carried out instream. As burns have been modified and simplified dramatically over past centuries, techniques to enhance structural complexity play a key role in creating a diversity of river habitats and retaining water to mitigate the flooding a droughts caused by climate change.
The 2023-24 tree planting season got off to a start with a site on the upper Craigenputtock burn.