Access Committee Environmental Audit

Section 4
Drainage Basin Issues

The following issues and characteristics were identified:

Interference with natural flow regimes
The hydro-electric dam at Loch Garry extracts substantial amounts of water from the River Garry and diverts it around this section. This has radically altered the natural flow characteristics of the Garry.

Releases through the summer take place on a once a week basis only. The compensation flows in between these releases are much lower than the natural basin would deliver and render the river too low for canoeing. The occasional surplus of water in Loch Garry in wet periods of the year can result in additional releases of variable magnitude. The existing timing of the freshet releases has become variable, has not generally been made known to canoeists, although is made known to rafting interests. The amount of water released at these times provides a very useful level for canoeing activities.

Another existing hydro electric scheme interrupts the Garry flow, returning water through the power station at Kingie.

Land Use
Within the Garry catchment, the majority of land is hill and mountain grazing. Adjacent to the river there are extensive commercial conifer plantations, but the narrow strip beside the river has generally been left to natural woodland. The infestation of this woodland in the dam to White Bridge section is noted above. There is some fish farming on Loch Garry which may be the source of polystyrene blocks found beside the river. There is little or no arable farming in the catchment.

Development proposals
There are the possibility of future hydro electric developments on tributaries of the Garry, in particular on the Allt Garaidh Ghualaich, where a small private scheme already exists.

Paddling usage
The upper River Garry, class 3+, is regularly paddled by large numbers, but only on one day in the week during the Easter to September period. Usage would therefore be classfied as "high". In reality, numbers at the river are greater in the period May to August because of lighter evenings and summer holidays. On a busy day the number of paddlers might be in the region of 100. On a less busy day there might be fewer than 10. A small percentage of paddlers make the trip down the lower river, class 2(3), as well as the section here described. Upstream the long river, interspersed with lochs is occasionally travelled by open canoeists, being predominantly flat or class 1 and 2. In wet periods some descents are made of tributaries, including Allt Ladaidh and Allt Garaidh Ghualaich.

Known points of conflict over access for paddling
Adequate parking exists at White Bridge, from where paddlers an walk to the top of the section. Parking is more limited and less satisfactory at the top of the section and paddlers ought to be encouraged to drop off here and move majority of vehicles to the bottom, or to walk up with a boat from the bottom car park. A sign to that effect might be a sensible development, placed at top and bottom areas.

Objection has been raised to paddlers using the freshet releases during the day, as opposed to evening time after 1800. No formal agreement exists or is required in this respect.

Objection has been raised to paddlers descending the river below White Bridge. No formal agreement exists or is required in this respect.

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