Key updates from the last few months

Project Work Updates

Lincolnshire Wetland Project

We’ve had recent media interest from the BBC and various other news outlets regarding one of our wetland projects in Lincolnshire at Harrison’s Holme between the River Bain and River Waring near Horncastle. The project will reconnect the rivers to 1.4 hectares of floodplain, restore natural flow pathways, and create a mosaic of wetland features designed to enhance water storage, ecological health, and local amenity value.

You can read the article here

Our artist's impression of the finished wetland site

King Edward Burn Dam Removal, Aberdeenshire

The dam was removed last summer, with engineered wood bank protection installed to stabilise the river banks, and in-channel large wood structures installed in 9 different locations through the site. In addition to the works, this winter several trees have been planted to re-establish riparian habitat and provide additional shade to the channel, improving future resilience to climate change.

Large Wood is essential for healthy rivers, providing habitats for birds like kingfishers, shelter/ temperature refugia for fish, and breeding sites for dragonflies. It supports a diverse aquatic ecosystem and helps drive physical adjustment of the river channel, leading to further improved biodiversity. Increased physical diversity also provides habitat opportunities for fish and other instream species during drought conditions, representing an important climate change resilience mechanism.

Thanks to The Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust for the image

River Muick, Aberdeenshire

This year, more than half of the recorded salmonid spawning on the River Muick has occurred on two historical side-channels that have been reactivated through river restoration initiatives. These restoration works required the installation of large wood structures to maintain the flow of water into the side channels, ensuring their sustainable long-term function. Over time, the additional spawning and rearing habitat provided by the side channels will help improve fish production in the River Muick system, in addition to more general biodiversity benefits.

Fish spawning in the Muick

Wooler Water Willow Mattress Bank Protection

The Willow Mattress Bank Protection looks great on the Lower Wooler Water (designed by Grace Skirrow, with support from Hamish Moir). The mattress has done a fantastic job at protecting the bank from the high flows over the winter, with no sign of damage. The mattress has captured a significant amount of silt and sediment, and in places, it has begun to resemble a natural bank surface, with new vegetation emerging. There were some challenges during construction, with the expense of the willow mattress initially a concern (having a nearby source of willow for the mattress was key), however given the success of the design, the client is now very supportive of this design approach. The Wooler Water is a very dynamic river, and the bank protection was needed to protect over 200 m of the bank, replacing hard bank protection (rip rap) at the site.  

Willow mattress bank protection

News

The Benefits of Large Wood in Our Rivers Paper

Large wood in a channel

Our founder Dr Hamish Moir was a co-author on a paper that demonstrates the physical benefits of large wood through detailed scientific study. Excellent work by first author, Lucy Daniels. 'Let the riverscape grow! Riverscape rewilding restores lateral connectivity and promotes geomorphic recovery in a Scottish gravel-bed river.'

You can read it here

Back Burn News Article

We were delighted to be involved in an article that was posted about the work done on the Back Burn, where a 700m section of the channel has been restored to follow its original course at Coul Den Reservoir, Glenrothes.  The project was commissioned by the Fife Council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and is being managed by Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, supported initially with funding from the Water Environment Fund (WEF). We carried out site surveys, modelling, and provided the technical designs for the works, and McGowan Environmental Ltd. used locally sourced materials for the build.

Read it here

RRC Conference 2026

The River Restoration Centre Conference 2026 took place on the 29th & 30th April 2026, ICC Wales, in Newport.  Our very own Sam McArthur gave a presentation, 'Don’t dig there! Balancing the aims of a river restoration project in an area where water voles have previously been reintroduced' on Day1. Dr. Peter Downs, also from CBEC, presented 'Towards consistent evidence-based evaluation of river restoration projects' on Day 2, and Megan Annetts submitted her entry for the poster session.  A massive well done to all our team who attended and all those involved! 

The RRC conference gets underway

New Team Members

Ashley White, MSc

We'd also like to welcome Ashley to the team as a Senior Project Manager! Ashley enjoys being out in the field, community engagement, and project planning, supporting stages from scoping and design through to delivery and long-term operational management. For more information about Ashley and her role in the team, please go here.

Ashley Bird, MSc

We'd also like to give a very warm welcome back to Ashely Bird! Ashley returns to CBEC, having led the topographic and bathymetric survey team during his initial period at CBEC, delivering complex surveys using bespoke methodologies. Ashley is now a Senior Technical Specialist, for more information on his role please go here.

Illustration Service

CBEC offers an illustrative service to promote potential visual results for project plans. Please have a look at our Graphics/Illustration brochure below for details, or get in touch by clicking here

Brochures

Technical Services