Chalk stream restoration project brings biodiversity and water quality improvements
The Environment Agency has worked with East Yorkshire Rivers Trust to carry out a restoration project at a chalk stream in Yorkshire.
Work taking place as part of the project
A trampled chalk stream has been restored thanks to a project to keep livestock clear of the internationally important habitat.
The Environment Agency worked with East Yorkshire Rivers Trust to restore a section of the spring-fed tributary of Foston Beck, known as Rattling Water.
It was previously a heavily cattle trampled and over-grazed section of chalk stream which saw silt – which smothers fish and other wildlife and impacts on water quality – dragged into the water.
The stream, which forms part of the River Hull Headwaters Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), has now been fenced off, preventing livestock from going into the water and allowing the natural habitat to thrive. Dense shrubs and brambles that were blocking natural light were also removed.
The project – costing £15,000 and funded by the Environment Agency – also included woody debris installations in the river that help vary the flow of water, creating a more natural watercourse which will benefit fish and invertebrates, and in turn improve water quality.
It will bring a boost to wildlife as a greater variety of chalk stream plants will grow, attracting insects such as mayflies, and the reduction in silt will improve the survival of juvenile Brown Trout.
Woody debris installed as part of the project
Chalk a ‘defining feature’ of landscape
Richard Jennings, from the Environment Agency’s Fisheries Team, led on the project. He said:
Chalk is a defining feature of the landscape and underlies a huge area of East Yorkshire. Chalk streams are globally rare habitats, providing rich and diverse biodiversity and we’re working closely with partners on restoration projects such as this.
Opening up Rattling Water to more natural sunlight is supporting the restoration of chalk stream plants, and along with leaky dams, will improve the natural flow of the stream.
Along with blocking access to livestock and reducing the amount of silt entering the water, this project will bring a boost to wildlife and water quality, and we are already seeing improvements to biodiversity.
In November last year, a network of restoration projects and new funding was outlined in a plan published by the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA)
CaBA’s Implementation Plan sets out the actions that government, Natural England, the Environment Agency and other CaBA partners are taking to secure the future protection of these precious waters. Its publication marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of CaBA’s Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy, which set out over 30 recommendations to restore good ecological health to chalk streams and the landscapes which support them.