An 18-month-long project to “re-wiggle” a river after more than a century has been successfully completed prompting “tears and celebrations”.
A section of the River Kemp, in south Shropshire, had been straightened by landowners in the 1800s, disconnecting it from its natural floodplain and reducing biodiversity.
Now water is flowing in the meander again, after it was restored in a project led by Severn Rivers Trust (SRT) and involved local landowners.
“We’re expecting an explosion in wildlife”, Sophie Bloor from SRT said, adding that because “we’ve worked so closely with the farmers they are still able to graze [here].”
As the digger swept away the muddy barrier between the river and the so-called “Walcot Wiggle,” Bloor said she was “absolutely buzzing.”
The project was also developed in consultation with Catchment Sensitive Farming, the Environment Agency, and the Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team.
“Historically [the meander] would have just rocketed down,” Bloor continued, adding that “because the channel is now wider [and] shallower, the river will interact with its floodplain”.
The site, in Little Brampton between Clun and Craven Arms, will “hold huge amounts of water, which will then help [reduce] flooding downstream”, she continued.
“That ephemeral, wet-dry landscape – all the wading birds will absolutely love it, and you’ll get insects… and all the really cool plants and flowers.”
Source:
www.bbc.co.uk
