It’s been exciting to see water flowing into a newly re-meandered section of the River Breamish in Northumberland (pictured below). This work is part of one of the UK’s largest river restoration projects which we’ve been working on in partnership with the LIFE WADER nature recovery group, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Harehope Estate.
Like many river channels in the UK, this section of the Breamish had been straightened and modified over the centuries to make room for intensive farming. This disconnected the river from its floodplain leading to problems including reduced biodiversity, a decline in freshwater species and an increased flood risk downstream.
The project is restoring the river to a more natural state (see visualisation below), reconnecting it to the floodplain and bringing a huge range of benefits for water quality, habitats and biodiversity. This includes enhanced conditions for salmon and trout populations at every stage of their life cycle in the river.
The Breamish is a tributary of the River Till and this work is a key element of the River Till Restoration Strategy, which has been guiding restoration efforts across the River Till SSSI and SAC since 2013.