The River Tweed Commission (RTC) welcomes the publication of a new guide to the planting of riparian woodlands. The guide, titled The Practitioners’ Guide to Riparian Woodland Creation, created by the Tweed Forum for The Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, offers advice on riverside planting, which is one of the most effective tools for protecting fish from the effects of climate change and habitat degradation.
Since 2016, the Tweed Foundation has actively participated in the Scottish River Temperature Monitoring Network (SRTMN), a project led by Marine Scotland Science (MSS). This initiative involves the collection of water temperature data from numerous sites across several Scottish rivers.
The Tweed Foundation operates a total of sixty-one (61) temperature loggers placed throughout the catchment. The data collected from the loggers highlights the complexities of measuring river temperature due to factors such as microhabitat differences and temperature fluctuations across different depths and areas of the catchment. Using the information, the Tweed Foundation biologists are able to inform the River Tweed Commission (RTC) about specific areas in the Tweed catchment where rising water temperatures are most likely to be an issue for the Tweed’s cold-blooded salmonids. This enables a targeted response to reduce the impacts.
The most effective and practical method of doing so is through riparian tree planting. By planting trees along the riverbanks and burns, a cooling effect is achieved as the trees provide shade over the water course. The RTC is working with a range of partners and landowners throughout the catchment to explore the possibilities of tree planting along the water courses where temperatures are predicted to increase the most in the coming years.
The guide features advice on access to funding, including green financing through the Woodland Carbon Code, as well as advice on tree species selection, fencing, protection, and maintenance. There is also guidance on possible constraints, and resources on mapping, land capability, protected species, and working within Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Areas of Conservation.
For those interested, "The Practitioners’ Guide to Riparian Woodland Creation" is accessible on the Tweed Forum website. Further details about the Tweed Foundation temperature network can be found here.
