SNH findings on Alyth flooding and beavers

After some local speculation and news articles about the possible role of beaver activity in the scale of flooding, SNH asked the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland (RZSS) to survey the extent of beaver activity in the area and identify if beaver activity could have contributed.

The RZSS survey, completed on 24 July, found that all of the beaver dams in Bamff Estate (3 large and 12 small dams) were structurally intact with no evidence of significant material being washed out. There was no evidence of any collapsed or washed out dams and the slow release of water was still occurring.

There have been no signs of beaver activity recorded in the Den of Alyth or above Alyth for the last three years, including felled timber.

Although most of the flood debris had been removed from Alyth and therefore couldn’t be checked, the remaining debris had no evidence of beaver gnawing.

Perth & Kinross Council and SEPA are currently investigating the causes of the flooding and have conducted a series of site visits to assess rainfall levels, timber debris, land drainage and other contributing factors which could have exacerbated the flood event.

ENDS