Galloway
The Galloway catchment consists of nine major river catchments - the Luce, Bladnoch, Cree, Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire Dee, Urr, Nith, Annan and Border Esk. Although the GFT has over the year's undertaken extensive works across all of these rivers, its 'Core' river catchments, and where the trust focuses the main body of its work, are the six located to the west of the region (the Luce to the Urr and the Border Esk).
From mountains to moorland and rolling hills to fertile floodplains, the landscape of the Galloway catchment is characterised by its rivers and their tributaries. The rivers on which the Trust works on provide an amazing and outstanding array of freshwater lochs and rivers which support some of the most diverse fish populations in Scotland. Each river is unique and individual in its own right and all attract much interest from anglers, walkers and wildlife enthusiasts.
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Within the GFT area there are many species and landscape designations. Of particular note and relevance is the River Bladnoch Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for Atlantic salmon, Luce Bay and sands SAC, the lower Cree SSSI, Cree estuary SSSI and River Dee (Kirkcudbrightshire) Parton to Crossmicheal SSSI.
Present or potential pressures on the Galloway catchment and its fisheries include acidification, pollution, anthropogenic barriers to fish movement, degraded riparian and spawning habitats, overexploitation, predation, parasites, disease and the introduction of alien non-native species. Current fisheries management undertaken in the catchment includes predator control, habitat intervention, stocking, exploitation and poaching control, the easing of barriers and invasive alien species control.
Surveying
During the Autumn/Winter 2010, GFT surveyed the Water of Luce, Bladnoch, Fleet, Dee and Urr for the presence of Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed.
GFT recorded:
· 11 000 m² of Japanese Knotweed on the Water of Luce
· 450 m² of Japanese Knotweed on the River Bladnoch
· 3 500 m² of Japanese Knotweed on the Water of Fleet
· 4 500 m² of Japanese Knotweed on the Kirkcudbrightshire Dee
· 4 500 m² of Japanese Knotweed on the River Urr
· 3 500 m² of Giant Hogweed on the River Urr
Control work
GFT have allocated each individual river with a specific control method that is based on plant development, location and timing. All invasive plant species are being controlled by the use of chemical applications between May and October over the next four years (ending in 2014) using qualified contractors. Both stem injection and the traditional knapsack spraying are being employed.
River |
Method |
Time |
Water of Luce Approx. 11,000m2 |
Knapsack Spaying on the main stem river and Stem Injection on the Lady Burn |
Visit 1. Early May Visit 2. Late June Visit 3. Late July Visit 4. Early September |
River Bladnoch Approx. 450m2 |
Stem Injection |
Visit 1. Early August Visit 2. Late August |
Water of Fleet Approx. 3,500m2 |
Knapsack Spaying on the main stem river and Stem Injection within the town of Gatehouse of Fleet |
Visit 1. Late May Visit 2. Mid July Visit 3. Mid August Visit 4. Mid September |
Kirkcudbrightshire Dee Approx. 4,500m2 |
Stem Injection |
Visit 1. Early August Visit 2. Late August |
Urr Water Approx. 8,000m2 |
Knapsack Spraying and Stem Injection |
Visit 1. Early June Visit 2. Late July Visit 3. Late August |