Peatland Restoration Case Study - Bamford

Our Bamford project was a two year upland peatland restoration job and the biggest site we have worked on so far with a large number of restoration techniques utilised. The site is owned by the National Trust High Peak Estate and is part of the Severn Trent operational area known as the Bamford Catchment. Our client was Moors For The Future and this site was part of their Moor Climate Action Phase 2 project which aims to restore three catchments in the Peak District National Park. It was funded by the DEFRA Nature for Climate fund and was match funded by United Utilities, Severn Trent, National Trust, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and BMC Access and Conservation Trust.

This site was highlighted for conservation work because the Bamford Catchment area has suffered from degradation due to a number of factors including historic climate change events, industrial pollution, overgrazing and wildfire. In addition the land has been subject to water drainage which has caused severe erosion and peat loss, negatively impacting the hydrology and biodiversity of the site.  

Therefore Moors For The Future’s key aims of the restoration works were:

• Reduce direct peat loss downstream via channels and gullies formed in the land.

• Reduce peat loss caused by peat drying out which leads to plant decomposition and CO2 release.

• Increase biodiversity and formation of healthy, peat-forming environments whilst also increasing photosynthesis and thus carbon capture.

• Reduce the storm flow caused by extreme events predicted by climate change modelling.

• Improve moisture retention of the peat during dry/drought periods and consequently decrease wildfire damage.

In order to achieve these aims planned restoration works included :

• Blocking of active drainage features and erosion gullies.

• Stabilising peat hags and eroding gully sides using reprofiling and revegetation techniques.

• Identifying areas of bare peat and taking steps to promote revegetation to prevent drying out and erosion.

• Rewetting of the degrading and drying peat surface using gully blocking and sphagnum planting.

  
  

Delivery Year One (2023-24)

During the first year of the project our team delivered:

• 1,109 units of stone dams

• 439 bags of brash and LSF

• 1,325 metres of gully reprofiling

  
  

Delivery Year Two (2024-25)

 In the second and final year of the project our team delivered:

• 3,143 bags of brash and 2,704 units of LSF

• 5,461 metres of gully reprofiling

• 81 units of heather bale dams 

• 111 units of peat dams

• 353 units of timber dams

  
  

Bamford - An Overview

The restoration interventions on this site aimed to rewet and revegetate the moor. They included various dams - peat, stone, timber and heather bales. Reprofiling of accessible hags and gullies and then brash on any areas of bare peat followed by treatment of lime, seed and fertiliser. Another contractor (making trax) planted sphagnum. 

Helicopter Lifts

As the job was extremely remote, taking delivery of materials involved a helicopter and a lot of running around (aka marshalling). Our team worked with Heli Lift Services, and, using a mixture of high vis, GIS and walkie talkies successfully directed our materials which included stone, timber, brash and LSF to their drop off zones on the moor. 

Dams

Permeable and impermeable dams are an important tool in peatland restoration as they block drainage channels and trap sediment. This then raises water table levels which restores natural hydrology and creates an ideal environment for peat regeneration by preventing erosion and creating habitat for the recolonization of sphagnum mosses. Over the two years ELMS installed permeable dams including stone dams by helicopter with Heli Lift Services, timber and heather bale dams by hand and impermeable peat dams using specialised tracked excavators. For effective peat restoration the location of these dams is extremely important with the ground type usually dictating what type of dam should be installed as well as gully width (pinch points) and the steepness of the gully.   

Stone dams are mainly implemented when there is shallow peat, bedrock and mineral soil or where the site may be inaccessible to machinery. Stone dam installation involves dropping stones across the width of a gully with a helicopter. The dam is fettled by hand with the sides being higher than the middle (in a banana shape) and tied into the bank, which slows water flow and traps sediment behind the dam wall.

Heather bale dams are used in shallow peat pans and small shallow sloped gullies. They are installed using hand tools to key the bales into the sides and base of grips and gullies. The dug out peat is then repurposed and packed tightly around the dam structure to add strength and aid water retention. The main advantage of heather bale dams is that they are natural and will eventually become vegetated and blend into the surrounding landscape. 

The leaky timber dams we built were used in medium sized gullies with medium to deep peat available. We installed them using a series of hand tools and made sure to key the boards into the sides and base of the gullies.

Finally peat dams are dug using low ground pressure tracked excavators when the peat is at least 50 cm deep to block drainage channels.

Reprofiling

By shaping hags and steep sided gullies, reprofiling is used to combat erosion issues by stabilising peat and increasing water retention. Additionally reprofiling promotes revegetation which helps restore carbon storage capacity.

Brash and LSF

Heather brash is applied in a layer along the sides of reprofiled gullies. It is used to specifically stabilize bare peat and create a sheltered microclimate designed to retain moisture for the growth and re-establishment of mosses. Lime, seed and fertiliser is also applied to promote vegetation growth by slightly raising the pH of acidic peat as well as supplementing nutrient deficiencies to help promote biodiversity. We worked in teams throughout winter to manually spread brash and LSF over areas of bare peat. 

Final Thoughts

Our team worked extremely hard throughout winter to deliver this project. We were out in all weather conditions marshalling, building dams and spreading brash and LSF and whilst it was definitely difficult we saw some amazing wildlife and scenery. There's nothing like surviving a winter on the moors - sheltering in brash bags at lunch, blasting Christmas music and generally bog hopping - for team bonding. At ELMS we are super proud of the work we have delivered and the good it will do for peatland restoration. As a team of conservationists and environmental scientists we recognise that our work will pay off and provide the base for regeneration. Thanks for reading, we’re looking forward to our next project so look out for that on our social media and blog pages!