Forth Rivers Trust (FRT) working on the Allan Water Improvement Project recently supported the installation of over 560 peat dams to restore Red Moss. FRT worked with the farmer and his contractor to apply for and advise on the work carried out. The peat dams are an integral part of a large Agri-environment Scheme funded by the EU and Scottish Government.Â
Red Moss is a 52-hectare lowland raised bog on the west side of the Braco to Comrie road. Raised bogs are usually found in lowland areas and receive their water from rainfall. They have a distinctive range of specialist plants such as Sphagnum mosses, cranberry and sundews. The peatland forms very slowly when these plants break down to form a dome of deep peat in the centre surrounded by a wet margin known as a lagg.Â
Around the 1950s the Government encouraged farmers to agriculturally improve their wetlands and bogs and Red Moss like many other sites was drained at this time. We now know that drainage is very damaging to peatlands especially lowland bogs.  Peatlands can store carbon for thousands of years but when they are drained, and the peat dries out this causes an accelerated release of carbon.
Peat bogs can be restored to regain their carbon storage function by ditch blocking with peat dams. At Red Moss 569 peat dams have been created along the 11km network of ditches. The peat dams cause the water level to rise to the surface rewetting the peat allowing Sphagnum moss to slowly recolonise and eventually block the drains resulting in a more naturally functioning bog. This restoration is not only is good for carbon storage, it creates pools for insects the food source for many moorland birds, it improves water quality, stops soil erosion, and slows the flow of water. Hence peatbog restoration is one of several Natural Flood Management Techniques (NFM) aimed at reducing flood risk downstream.Â
Sandra Stewart, Forth Rivers Trust, Nov 2019