This restoration/enhancement measure applies to smaller watercourses which in the past have been straightened, canalised or otherwise modified from their natural state. It may not be appropriate to restore the watercourse fully to its pre-modified status, but enhancement of the present channel will be beneficial for water quality, flood alleviation and biodiversity. SEPA should be contacted before work commences to advise whether the work requires authorisation under the Controlled Activities Regulations. Larger river restoration projects are not eligible for funding under this option.
The watercourse must be reprofiled to create a two-level cross profile:
At the bottom: a summer flow channel, typically 20 to 50 cm in width and depth, narrow enough to maintain a fast flow of water in normal summer conditions. The fast flow encourages the watercourse to cut downward through the silt layer and re-establish a gravel bottom.
An outer winter- or spate-flow channel - typically wider than the existing channel. You create this wider channel by removing any embankments and reprofiling the channel from a steep V-section to a shallow, asymmetric U-shape. This reprofiling should increase the overall volume of the channel and its ability to hold winter flows. Significantly it should allow the watercourse to re-establish meanders within the outer channel, create wetland areas and temporary pools, and encourage the development of marginal vegetation
You should carry out the re-profiling during the late summer/autumn and in two stages:
- Remove any embankment or levee and spread the material on the adjacent field.
- Push down the vegetated sides of one or both banks to reduce the bed-width of the channel and create the summer flow channel. Pushing down alternate sections of bank will enhance the meander structure of the watercourse. Where possible, you should carry out this work within the existing margin of uncropped land.
Overall, the watercourse should be allowed to establish a natural riffle/pool/glide and meander structure, with the associated benefits to water quality and wildlife