Farmer wants common sense flooding strategy

WATERCOURSES: Peter Grewar Sr outlines priorities

Meigle farmer Peter Grewar Sr has taken a greater interest than most in keeping the watercourses of Strathmore running smoothly.

As chairman of both the Meigle and the Coupar Angus and Kettins Burns Groups he has coordinated efforts to prevent flooding of farmland and settlements, notably Coupar Angus.

Now he has written to local MSP John Swinney, Perth and Kinross Council (PKC)and Sepa laying out measures he believes would prevent a repeat of the flooding which devastated Alyth on July 17 this year.

“Looking at the Alyth Burn below the town is key,” he said.

“Common sense dictates the faster the water leaves Alyth the less the water level will rise in times of heavy rain.”

Mr Grewar advises contractors starting at the boundary with Glenisla Golf Course and moving upstream removing all trees on the banks of the burn.

Stumps should have holes drilled in them and glyphosate applied to prevent regrowth.

“Then the loose material from the centre of the burn should be removed,” he said.

“The cleaner the bottom of the burn , the faster it will run.

“This dredging should continue right up to the road bridge in the centre of Alyth.”

Mr Grewar is also certain Scottish Water should bury two recently installed orange pipes under the new bed depth.

These are 540 metres downstream from the road bridge, and at present catch debris.

There is also clear evidence of beaver activity in this stretch with felled saplings already in the water and larger trees badly gnawed.

Mr Grewar continued: “From the road bridge upstream, remove the cascade in front of the bridge and also all the barriers that cross the burn along the length of Commercial Street. “These hinder water flow. “Also sediment built up over many years on this stretch has to be removed.

“Alyth farmer John Ferguson has compared the present level with that shown in a 1905 postcard and it is clear the bed then was 40 inches deeper.

“This is a huge cross section that is not at present available to carry water.”

Vegetation being swept down from Alyth Den contributed greatly to the July floods and the way to avoid a reoccurrence is to remove all trees, shrubbery and debris to high water level, maintains Mr Grewar.

“Perth and Kinross Council as major land owners and managers of the banks should be responsible for bringing all landowners into line and monitoring the Alyth Burn Catchment Area on a regular basis,” Mr Grewar added.

“This plan would cost a lot less than the repair costs incurred by the flood on the 17th July 2015.

“Forestry Commission and SNH will have to be brought into line by one means or another.”

The two offending orange pipes already attracting debris and clear signs of beaver damage to a bankside tree.