Large Grip & Gully Restoration
A number of grips in Yorkshire upland peatlands have become badly eroded to the extent that they can no longer be classed as grips and have become gullies. In addition, the impact of drainage combined with other factors such as wildfire and over-grazing have lead to the “natural” development of large eroding gullies in many areas of peatland. The Yorkshire Peat Partnership is working with Natural England’s Environmental Stewardship Scheme to block these large gullies to restore the water table to the peatlands and prevent further peat erosion.
These gullies cannot be blocked using standard peat dam techniques and other engineered solutions are required.
The techniques to be used by the Yorkshire Peat Partnership are based on very limited current available evidence. Many are relatively experimental and may be subject to further refinement as further research is carried out.
Individual site conditions will dictate the exact form of these blocking techniques. All larger grips and gullies are analysed using both aerial photography and surveys on the ground. They can be divided into several categories according to their physical characteristics:
- Shallow gullies with no vegetation on the bottom with or without a peat base.
- Deeper gullies with no/little vegetation in the bottom with or without a peat base.
- Deeper gullies with vegetation in the base with or without a peat base.
- Very deep, heavily eroding gullies with or without a peat base.
Photo: Peter Christopherson
