Tay Ghillies Association
"There are many issues affecting the Atlantic Salmon in rivers and at sea. This team will focus on the River Ericht and its tributaries to remove barriers to ensure, as far as possible, the unrestricted access of returning adults to spawning grounds and to also provide water habitats conducive to the growth of juvenile salmon and an increase in smolts leaving the river.” Bob Mason
During our design stage, which ran from July 2023 to July 2024, we began to speak to landowners in the catchment who were interested in developing river woodlands, also known as “riparian” (from the Latin ripa – bank) woodlands. These habitats protect us against flood damage, capture carbon and provide havens for wildlife. They conserve Scotland’s delicate biodiversity, purify our water and lessen the impact of drought on our crops and drinking water. Very importantly, they help reduce water temperature, essential to the wild Atlantic Salmon who spawn in the Ericht.
We also began work on developing an engineering solution for the Lade Gates at the Brig O’ Blair, which could better manage current abstraction and prevent trapping of smolts.