Forres (Burn of Mosset) Flood Alleviation Scheme

Completed in 2009, this £21m flood alleviation project is designed to protect 900 homes and 50 businesses within the Scottish town of Forres. The main engineering feature is a large flood storage reservoir at Chapelton Dam upstream of the town which makes use of a natural basin within the landscape. With a design standard of 1 in 100 years plus climate change, the scheme prevented over £20m of damage to properties by 2015.

I led the landscape design and LVIA, including the successful integration of engineering features into the rural landscape and throughout the town. Key features of the design included a 15ha riparian woodland upstream of the Chapelton Dam, acting as a buffer to slow and store flood water and to provide habitat for wildlife. Seed mixtures for meadows and grassed areas were designed to have roots that stabilise the soil within flood features whilst improving biodiversity.