A ground-breaking project has got underway to restore the river habitat for the benefit of local fish populations – including Salmon and Trout – in the Black Water of Dee, in South West Scotland.

The Black Water of Dee is the largest tributary of the Kirkcudbrightshire Dee. Running from its source, deep in the Galloway Forest Park, through Clatteringshaws Loch, and down to Loch Ken, it derives its name from the dark colour of the water. The lower section of the Black Water of Dee River runs through the Galloway Forest Park, largely following the route of the Raiders Road Forest Drive, passing the popular Otter Pools visitor site.

Studies recently undertaken have sought to better understand the fish populations in this stretch of river and identify works that could support these. Nearly 20km of the lower Pullaugh Burn and Black Water of Dee is accessible to migratory fish but very few fish are found in the river, despite an increase in compensatory flow initiated in 2012 from Clatteringshaws Dam by the owners of the Galloway Hydro-Electric Scheme.

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