A PEATLAND restoration project in Dumfries and Galloway is improving water quality and wildlife habitats around the River Cree and Loch Moan.
It is the result of a partnership between energy network operator SP Energy Networks, Galloway Fisheries Trust and Forestry and Land Scotland.
The project has restored 22.5 hectares of previously forested peatland, an area roughly equivalent to 32 football pitches, by rewetting the land to allow water to flow more naturally into the river system.
Environmental groups say the work will strengthen one of south-west Scotland’s most important ecosystems, improving conditions for fish populations and other wildlife while also helping reduce carbon emissions.
The work forms part of SP Energy Networks’s wider Action Plan for Nature, which aims to ensure no net loss of biodiversity by 2028 and achieve “nature positive” operations by the end of the decade.
Gill Renwick, sustainability manager for SP Energy Networks, said: “Our communities are at the heart of everything we do, and we have a clear strategy for how we will minimise our impact on nature.
“Projects like this – improving natural habitats – are key to how we will get there, and it’s been great to work with Galloway Fisheries Trust and Forestry and Land Scotland to make this happen.”
Renwick said early signs at the site were encouraging, with thriving sphagnum moss, a key indicator of healthy peatland, suggesting the restored landscape will continue to recover in the coming years.
“It’s wonderful to see our efforts are already having an impact,” she added.
“By bringing this area back to life, we’re making a positive and long-lasting impact that works for both people and planet.”
The River Cree is a well-known angling destination, recognised for its salmon and trout, and is home to one of only three remaining populations of sparling in Scotland, a rare species dependent on clean, healthy water.
Healthy peatlands are among the country’s most effective natural carbon stores, but when they are drained or degraded, they can release significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
By restoring waterlogged conditions, the Loch Moan project is expected to improve carbon storage while supporting biodiversity.
Wildlife including black grouse, reptiles and amphibians are also expected to benefit from the restored habitat.
Dr Ed Turner, planning and environment manager at Forestry and Land Scotland, said: “Peatland restoration is an important part of our land management strategy and, in the right place, can have a lasting impact on carbon storage, water quality and habitat provision.
"The partnership approach at Loch Moan has resulted in a really successful project, which we hope to continue to build upon.”
The restoration is also part of Galloway Fisheries Trust’s wider Flowing Forward: Restoring Galloway’s Rivers programme, which was recently selected by the Scottish Government as one of Scotland’s nine landscape-scale nature restoration exemplars.
Jamie Ribbens, the trust’s chief executive, said recognition from the Scottish Government was “a real vote of confidence” in the programme and the partnerships driving restoration work across the region.
Kacie Jess, project manager at Galloway Fisheries Trust, said: “The River Cree is a special place, and work like this helps it in the ways that matter: cleaner water running off the land, more stable conditions and a healthier river for fish and other wildlife.”
ScottishPower, the parent company of SP Energy Networks, is currently investing £24 billion in UK energy infrastructure between 2024 and 2028, with much of that funding directed towards transmission and distribution upgrades alongside environmental initiatives.
