As part of the Angling Improvement Fund, the Loughs Agency and Wild Trout Trust recently partnered to deliver a two-day workshop on soft engineering initiatives for river restoration.
The sessions were led by Gareth Pedley and attended by members of the Omagh Anglers, Strule Trust and Loughs Agency field staff.
The workshop, which demonstrated low-impact, natural techniques for riverbank protection and habitat improvement, consisted of a day of presentations and site visits, followed by a day of practical fieldwork.
Participants gathered at the Loughs Agency office in Omagh for a presentation by Wild Trout Trust on green bank protection and habitat work using woody material.
This was followed by a lively discussion on river and habitat management practices, then an afternoon of site visits in the Omagh area, which gave the opportunity for attendees to discuss the various techniques on site.
On the second day, attendees spent the day outdoors taking part in a practical session for installing soft engineering. The participants, under the guidance of the Wild Trout Trust and Loughs Agency staff, installed two pinned willow trees at selected locations, only using natural materials.
This initiative highlighted the benefits of the nature based solution approach that the Loughs Agency has adopted over the years and hopes to do more of in the future.
The agency said it was delighted to have the Wild Trout Trust deliver such an insightful workshop and and looks forward to more collaboration in the future.
