River Restoration
Ullswater CIC River Restoration Projects
Land use changes over time have meant that rivers have been moved, straightened, damned and embanked. This is often to the detriment of land and wildlife alongside, and in them. Altered water flow can create erosion, contribute to flash flooding affecting land and communities downstream, and affects fish passage.
River restoration does not always mean letting a river go back to its fully natural state (often referred to as ‘Stage Zero’ ). There are many things that can be done to help improve and rejuvenate our becks and rivers without doing this. Removing embankments, widening and removing barriers such as weirs from rivers can all be done with minimal impact on adjacent land. We believe that there is a middle ground whereby we can restore or re-meander these rivers so that they can be moved to a more natural location which can let flood water reconnect to its floodplain. This creates better habitats for fish and other wildlife, whilst also improving drainage and soil condition so the land can be kept in agricultural use.
By storing water on your land and slowing the flow, you are providing a service for the public good. As such the landowner or farmer can be paid for this service. Options that involve river restoration and water storage are amongst some of the highest paying under Countryside Stewardship and schemes.
For more information about river restoration please see: https://www.therrc.co.uk/why-restore
Wet woodland creation
River restoration and Wetland creation, Kendal
Solar-powered drinking pump Kendal
River restoration and floodplain reconnection
