Core Drilling Specialists, in partnership with Taziker the Scottish government and environmental organisations, is delighted to announce the successful completion of drilling works at the Garlogie Dam, a monumental dam removal project that will breathe new life into Scotland’s natural ecosystems, with the aim of creating a thriving habitat for the magnificent Atlantic salmon.
The Garlogie Dam, once an imposing structure on the River Dee, served industrial purposes for nearly two centuries. However, as the years passed, the dam had become a barrier to the natural migration of Atlantic salmon, impeding their journey upstream for spawning. To address the ecological imbalances caused by the dam and to rejuvenate the river’s biodiversity, the decision to remove the Garlogie Dam was made.
The project, initiated in 2021, was a collaborative effort involving the Scottish government, environmental groups, and CDS. This ambitious endeavour aimed to not only restore the river’s free flow but also to provide an environment conducive to the recovery of Atlantic salmon populations, which have faced various challenges in recent decades.
The removal of the dam was executed in meticulous phases, from the preparatory work to the controlled deconstruction of the dam structure. Core Drilling Specialists played a vital role in this process by employing advanced cutting techniques to safely remove the dam’s concrete and bedrock foundations, ensuring minimal disruption to the environment and to the structure remaining.
The dismantling process involved using our Wire Sawing Technique to section off the blocks in a sequenced manner to ensure we maintained the structural integrity of the structure; each block was the released using drilling and Hydraulic Bursting operations to free it whilst minimising the disturbance to the surround structure and for the main contractor to safely lift from the damn. This was an extremely technical operation as some of the cuts were 4m deep at the bottom of the damn and almost 5m long, all of which had to achieved whilst considering the environmental impacts so ensuring that a substantial bunding system was in place to remove slurry from the cutting procedure as the works progressed as well as interaction to the local residents and farming surrounding the project.
Today, as the cutting works are completed, the Garlogie Dam stands as a testament to environmental restoration and conservation. The Garlogie Dam site has been transformed into a vibrant ecosystem that is expected to become an ideal habitat for Atlantic salmon. These remarkable fish are an iconic species in Scotland and play a crucial role in the region’s freshwater ecosystems.
