"The current high water level after the recent heavy rainfall would need to drop considerably to allow the work to take place before the end of September," admitted Alan Beattie, who assumed responsibility for the famous weir when he acquired the nearby former fish farm recently.

"If we cannot do it before the autumn run of salmon, the project will have to be delayed until next year, which will be a great shame."

However, he reasserted his commitment to carrying out the work and shares the view of Philiphaugh landowner Sir Michael Strang Steel that further damage is likely to occur if the project is delayed over another winter.

To comply with the demands of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Mr Beattie has spent more than £1,000 commissioning a detailed method statement from a firm of health and safety consultants.

Copies of that 70-page document have now been circulated to SEPA and Scottish Natural Heritage which require assurances the work will not adversely affect the Ettrick Water river system.

"I hope the rumour-mongers suggesting I have no intention of carrying out this work now know I am deadly serious," said Mr Beattie. "The minute I get the go-ahead from these statutory agencies, the work will begin.

"However, if the river level does not fall significantly, the work simply cannot go ahead."

That is because the massive 30m breach at the north side of the cauld and the area immediately downstream must be dry to allow Mr Beattie to carry out the repair.

The method statement reveals the work will take a week to complete. As revealed in The Wee Paper, it confirms that to further reduce flow during the contract, both upstream sluice gates releasing water into the mill lade will have to be opened and a dam diversion created to take the rest of the river over the south side of the cauld.

Mr Beattie must also get sanction from SEPA to request that Scottish Water does not permit freshets (the controlled release of water normally discharged when river levels are low) from Megget during the project.

"The idea is that we disturb the river bed as little as possible and return the rock and gravel that was washed away in 2005 back to the cauld," said Mr Beattie.

"Once the dry site is created, steel piles will be driven to the same height as the rest of the cauld, gravel and rock will be placed behind the piles before being compacted and reinforcing mesh will be placed on top.

"Then a convoy of ready-mixed concrete wagons will come on site and pour concrete over the mesh."

No-one from SEPA was available for comment yesterday.