Following the meeting held at St Peters Hall, Daliburgh, on June 22nd, SNH, Stòras Uibhist and CnES have begun compiling information on the available options for coastal protection on the South Uist Estate area. Various options have been suggested and these will be considered and indicative costs compiled to help determine which options can be implemented, how the work can be done, and the likely timescales required.

As the information becomes available it will be posted on the Stòras Uibhist website and e-Newsletters will be issued. A further public meeting will then be organised for local residents to discuss the options and identify the preferred way forward.

Kilphedar Coastal Protection Work

In 2007 CnES secured 80% of the funding necessary to carry out costal protection work at Stoneybridge, Pol na Cran, Ludag and Howbeg, from Scottish Government. Stòras Uibhist has worked with CnES to help maximise the work that could be carried out with the money available by giving CnES access to Stòras owned land without requiring CnES to purchase the land, as had been originally budgeted for.

Unfortunately, the funding from Scottish Government was not enough to cover much needed work at Kilphedar, where a 150m stretch of low lying land without protection from sand dunes leaves a large area inland at risk of flooding.

Kilphedar township had on many occasions investigated a variety of options that could remedy the problem at the Luib, but without external funding, the cost of carrying out appropriate work was prohibitive. In January 2011 SNH identified £40,000 of funding that could be available to counter coastal erosion and Stòras Uibhist was successful with a funding application to carry out work at Kilphedar.

A condition of the funding was that the project had to be completed by the end of March. Stòras Uibhist worked very closely with SNH and Kilphedar township to ensure that all proposed work was acceptable to both parties. Local company, MacAulay Askernish, was contracted to replenish the shingle on the storm beach and rebuild the sand dune near the foreshore, with sand from a nearby croft. Members of the township are now using seaweed and transplanting marram grass to stabilise the sand bund.

Sand-blow Fencing

The object of this fencing is to catch blown sand and build up the dune system. Once the sand is collected it is essential to stabilise it with marram grass and other vegetation.

Discarded fish farm cage netting is now being used as easy to erect and cheap fencing. However, this material must be sourced through a SEPA licensed supplier such as the Orasay Net Station in South Uist. Nets supplied directly from fish farms are considered waste material and cannot be used. SNH have stipulated that the lengths of each section of nets used on a fence be no longer than 5 metres in case they are swept into the sea and become a hazard.

When fencing blowouts and other gaps in dune ridges, sand should be trapped at the downwind end first. If you first fence the mouth, or upwind end, you will cut off the sand supply to the rest of the area. Extend fences as far up the slopes as possible since a great deal of sand moves along the steep sides of blowouts. When filling a corridor, make sure that the fence ends are extended into the sides of the dunes so that scour does not occur.

The objective of sand-trap fencing is for it to become quickly and permanently buried so no trace remains. The job should not be considered completed until the resulting sand mound is planted and stabilised. Fencing that is not working should be removed.

Processed nets and fence stobs are available free of charge from Coast Hebrides, funded by The Crown Estate and Scottish Natural Heritage. Processed nets and fence stobs are stored at Market Stance in Benbecula and are available to townships and/or community groups free of charge by contacting: David Muir, ICZM Coordinator, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Balivanich, Benbecula; tel 01870 602425; email d.muir@cne-siar.gov.uk.

Johanne Ferguson, SNH, is available to advise on the installation of the sand blow fencing: SNH Regional Office, Stilligarry, South Uist HS8 5RT; Tel 01870 620 238; johanne.ferguson@snh.gov.uk.

Marram Grass Planting

Marram is a sand binding plant used for stabilising mobile sand dunes. The usual method is to transplant marram grass from where it is plentiful to eroded sand areas, or to where sand has been built up in height using sand blow fencing.

Marram is one of the few plants which thrive at the coast under conditions of sand blow and they grow into upstanding tussocks which provide shelter from wind at ground level and stabilises the underlying sand. Marram grass is tolerant of salt spray but not immersion and should be planted only to the expected run-up limit of waves. Sea-lyme grass is more tolerant of spray than marram grass and can be used in areas closer to the sea, although stocks of this plant for transplanting are often limited.

Transplanting is normally best to be undertaken during Spring after which the plant has a better chance of growing new foliage. When planting outside this time, success can be more variable, e.g. planting in summer will not be successful unless conditions are damp, and in winter plants can be affected by wind or frost. Planted areas should be kept free from trampling – by people or animals, grazing, wind scour, being buried by deep sand, or tidal inundation.

Further advice on marram grass planting can be obtained from Johanne Ferguson, SNH Regional Office, Stilligarry, South Uist HS8 5RT; Tel 01870 620 238; johanne.ferguson@snh.gov.uk.

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