Forth Rivers Trust Support Farmer to Restore Peat Bog
Forth Rivers Trust land management officer Sandra Stewart has been working with a local farmer and contractors Peter and Daniel Carnegie to restore peatland sites near Braco.Â
The Carse and Red Moss bogs, totalling over 70 ha lie to the west of the Allt an t-Seilich burn that flows into the River Knaik all within the Allan Water catchment. Like many peat bogs they have been modified by artificial drainage encouraged and funded by Government in the 1950s and 60s.Â
We now know draining wetlands and peat bogs is very damaging to the environment as the water table is lowered causing the peat to dry out allowing greenhouse gases to escape. Government now supports farmers to restore peatlands that store carbon to mitigate climate change.Â
In 2019 under the agri-envronment scheme over 550 peat dams were installed. This winter a further 150 peat dams and several plastic piling bunds were created. In addition exposed peat banks or hags were reprofiled on the deeply incised drains which reduces peat loss and makes them safer for livestock.  The reprofiling is achieved by pushing in the edges of the drain using the pressure of the machine bucket to create a shallower depression.  This project was funded by Peatland Action.
Low ground pressure excavators with wider tracks are best to work on bogs Forth Rivers Trust work with a range of farmers and other land managers on many projects within the Allan Water and wider Forth River catchment for the benefit of the land, wildlife and the wider community.
Reprofiled ditch with plastic bunds. All of these techniques raise the water level in the bog and reduce erosion of peat. Sphagnum mosses colonise the waterlogged ditches and start the restoration process. Not only does this store carbon but also reduces flood risk downstream and improves water quality for salmon, trout and other riverlife. The pools that form behind the dams are excellent habitats for a range of species including amphibians and insects such as dragonflies.
An aerial plan of the site during restoration works. You can see the dams starting to form along the ditches as they are installed.