Restoring the River Leven: A Year of Progress

Partners involved in the Restoring the River Leven Project have pledged to continue closely monitoring the site and its recovery following a year of remarkable progress.

Improvements have been made to a two-and-a-half mile stretch of the waterway and its surroundings between Cameron Bridge and Leven throughout 2024, rejuvenating the river for the benefit of local people and wildlife.

The project team has transformed the area thanks to a series of innovative restoration initiatives, all aimed at improving biodiversity, enhancing habitats and strengthening community connectivity to the river.

And early indications are that the project has had the desired impact, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from locals and visitors alike, and local anglers reporting a significant increase in sea trout upstream of the restoration site.

Key achievements in recent months include:

• Kirkland Dam Rock Ramp and Bankside Restoration
  A "nature-like" rock ramp has been constructed at Kirkland Dam, utilising locally sourced stone from within the Leven catchment. Bankside areas have been carefully re-established with topsoil derived from nearby floodplain scrapes. To stabilize the banks while vegetation regenerates, biodegradable coir matting has been applied, with early growth of grass already evident.
• Floodplain Scrapes and Wetland Enhancements
  Six floodplain scrapes were constructed—four near Kirkland Dam and two by the new Duniface rail and river crossing. These areas now feature over 4,000 native wetland plants, with additional habitat diversity created through three "island/perch" features installed in the nearby wetland.
• Burn Mill Dam Removal
  The full removal of Burn Mill Dam downstream has opened the river to improved flow and fish passage. Adjacent areas were restored with seeded floodplains and coir matting to support vegetation growth.
• In-Channel Habitat Enhancements
  Two large wood structures were installed upstream at Kirkland Dam and Duniface, providing cover and habitat for aquatic species. These structures may be complemented by additional installations next year, pending approvals.
• Green Bank Measures and Bank Reprofiling
  Green bank measures using rock rolls and pre-vegetated coir rolls were implemented along a ~100m section downstream of the old creosote site. Additionally, a small section of gabion basket at Dam Wood was removed, and the bank was reprofiled to enhance the river’s natural flow and habitat.

As the winter months approach, native tree planting will begin around the floodplain near the Kirkland rock ramp, with species like willow, alder, and birch selected to complement the revitalized landscape.

Councillor Jan Wincott, Fife Council’s Spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change, said:“We’re thrilled with the progress that’s been made this summer and delighted to see promising early signs of the project’s impact on fish passage and ecosystem recovery.

“The combination of innovative restoration designs, local material use, and strong community involvement has been a real recipe for success.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to already see signs of ecological improvement, like the increase in sea trout upstream, and we’d like to thank everyone who has been involved since day one.”

During the works, the McGowan Environmental team (who led construction) were able to keep much of the site open for public access, which was a huge success and has led to positive reception by locals.

Social media updates over the course of the summer also received a largely positive response and the Burn Mill Dam removal sparked the interest of Dam Removal Europe who did a live interview piece during the works which promoted the benefits of such designs to a global audience. See photo below for how it looked when it was finished.

First Minister John Swinney also visited the Kirkland rock ramp site in September to hear more about the restoration project and the wider Levenmouth Connectivity Project plans.

Lynda Gairns, River Restoration Specialist at SEPA, said: “We’re delighted that the partnership have completed the River Leven restoration project this year.

“The project has met its aims of easing fish passage on two redundant historic barriers, with the removal of Burn Mill dam and the creation of a natural rock ramp at Kirkland.

“We’ve improved morphology within the river helping to kick start natural processes, as well as focussing on improvements to the river’s greenspace.

“The newly created wetlands, habitats, planting and trees will enhance the area for both wildlife and people - and are especially important with our changing climate.

“We look forward to seeing the wider Leven connectivity project continue the next phase of developments in this area.”

Ed Heather-Hayes, Head of Development at Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, added: “We are delighted to see the completed removal of these major barriers to fish passage and that they are already demonstrating huge benefits for nature and people in the Leven area.

"Whilst there is tree planting to be completed over the winter, it is a testament to the partnership and all interested parties that the project has been delivered to such a high standard, on time and comfortably within budget.

"We are excited to be carrying this spirit into Fife's wider River Restoration Programme with works starting next year on the Back Burn and feasibility getting underway on the Rosyth Rivers Project."

Project partners Fife Council, SEPA WEF and Fife Coast and Countryside Trust would like to thank the excellent contractors, cbec, with support from RSK Environment Ltd, and McGowan Environmental for bringing this ambitious project and our vision for the River Leven to life.

A new video highlighting the progress made is available to view and share: River Leven restoration works

Notes:

Group picture above shows from left to right: Fiona Skiffington, FCCT project manager; Ross Spalding, Fife Council Service Manager (Climate Change and Zero Waste); Councillor Tom Adams; Lynda Gairns, SEPA River Restoration Specialist; Councillor David Alexander and Councillor Ken Caldwell alongside Kirkland Dam.

The Restoring the River Leven project is part of a broader initiative to enhance river connectivity, improve biodiversity, and create sustainable benefits for the local community. By removing barriers and restoring natural processes, the project supports a healthier and more resilient river ecosystem.

The project itself was commissioned by Fife Council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), supported initially with funding from the Water Environment Fund (WEF) and Fife Council.

Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT) has managed the project from concept design through to delivery on behalf of Fife Council.

SEPA administers the Water Environment Fund (WEF) on behalf of the Scottish Government and works in partnership with local authorities, land and structure owners, fishery trusts and conservation bodies to deliver an annual programme of river restoration projects.

The Water Environment Fund (WEF) delivers projects which will derive the greatest benefit to Scotland’s rivers and neighbouring communities.

Working in partnership with local authorities, WEF is used to create better river environments for wildlife and people. We do this by restoring damaged river corridors to enhance the ecological value of the river and improve public amenity and well-being opportunities, including the reduction of flood risk.

More information about Water Environment Fund is available.

For more information or to follow the project’s updates, visit theleven.org.