River restoration in Aviemore to help rare mussels and locals

A 500m side channel is being reconnected to the river to restore vital habitat for globally-rare freshwater pearl mussels and salmon. The work is being done as part of the Pearls in Peril LIFE+ project, led by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), working in partnership with the Spey Fishery Board and the Spey Foundation.

The channel being reconnected was blocked off around 50 years ago to reduce the risk of flood and erosion damage to nearby properties on Dalfaber Road. However, flow only enters the channel during spate conditions when the main stem of the Spey overtops the bank. At other times the water stagnates, creating an unpleasant odour for local residents. Blocking water flow through the channel also led to a loss of habitat for freshwater pearl mussels and fish.

Sue Marrs, Pearls in Peril project manager for SNH, said: “Restoration of this important former part of the River Spey will bring many welcome benefits. As well as contributing to our wider efforts to protect the largest pearl mussel population in Europe, the work will help the local salmon and trout populations, and at the same time improve the village of Aviemore.”

The River Spey supports one of the largest remaining freshwater pearl mussel populations in the world, estimated at up to 5 million. However, recent monitoring by SNH suggests that the Spey freshwater pearl mussel population has declined significantly. The mussels continue to be subject to illegal persecution, which is being actively addressed by a local riverwatch scheme.

Local residents have been keen for the work to go ahead. John Grierson, Chair of the Community Council, said: “We are pleased to see this project underway. The re-opening of the back stream will not only improve the habitat for a rare species, but will have a knock-on effect for nearby residents who should no longer have to put up with smelly, stagnant water at the bottom of their gardens.”

Liz Henderson, of the Spey Catchment Initiative, said: “This project is a wonderful opportunity to improve a degraded habitat vital for protected species, whilst also improving the environment for local residents. It will be great to see a flow through this channel once again and it will improve the amenity of the area hugely”.

Reconnecting the channel with the Spey’s main stem will allow a constant inflow to the backwater and provide sustainable habitat for individual mussels washed into the backwater during flood events, as well as high water refuge habitat for juvenile fish. During larger flow events, the River Spey already overtops the existing banks and the opening of the backwater channel will have no significant impact on flood levels or extents.

This is the final piece of river restoration work by the Pearls in Peril project, which finishes on 2 March after more than four years of improving freshwater biodiversity throughout the north of Scotland. The Pearls in Peril project is one way the Scottish Government aims to achieve its 2020 Biodiversity Challenge to improve ecosystems in our rivers and freshwater lochs.

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