River Clyde Meanders

Also within

Lanarkshire County

Condition (NatureScot)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Floodplain

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

River Clyde Meanders River Clyde Meanders Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), lying 3 km southeast of Carstairs, is a nationally important example of large-scale meandering of a major Scottish river. It provides an interesting example of natural lowland channel adjustment and, despite artificial constraints introduced in the last century, actively eroding cut-banks and actively-forming point bars can still be observed. The Medwin Water tributary is very active with a complex history of both progressive channel migration, and sudden change through meander bend cut-offs, especially just upstream of its confluence with the River Clyde. The present channel adjustment on the Medwin Water may be a response to changes in its base level due to twentieth-century dredging works on the River Clyde. The mainstream River Clyde also has a history of meander cut-offs, indicated by the presence of abandoned channels, some occupied by striking ox-bow lakes. Sediments in these channels form important environmental records of the development of the river’s floodplain and catchment. There is also an incipient cut-off with a rapidly reducing neck. The landforms and processes are comparable with those associated with the River Endrick, Stirlingshire but occur on a much larger scale.

Plant communities