New scheme to improve habitat quality in Norfolk chalk stream
The Environment Agency and the Norfolk Rivers Trust has worked together on a project along a section of the River Glaven in North Norfolk.
Drone image of Bayfield Wetland. Credit: Josh Jaggard.
The River Glaven is a chalk stream, that flows through North Norfolk into the North Sea, and its surrounding floodplain habitat. Chalk streams are a rare global habitat, with only 200 worldwide, mostly concentrated in southern England, which include 58 in East Anglia.
This 2 year project aimed to improve the condition and connectivity of the River Glaven floodplain, which in turn will enhance habitat diversity and benefit water quality. The Environment Agency provided £70k in funding, with an additional £60k contributed by our partners and in-kind donations.
The project involved restoring a river channel and meandering it through a dynamic mosaic of newly created floodplain wetlands. This will naturally filter the water, thereby improving its quality and reducing nutrient loading in the Glaven, recognised as both a priority habitat and a County Wildlife Site. The wetlands will also enhance water storage in high flows, providing natural flood management and increased ground infiltration.
Critically endangered eels, also frogs and egrets are among the wildlife already benefitting from the partnership project on the River Glaven. The creation of additional wetland habitats will continue to benefit numerous species, most notably the European Eel and Brown Trout, which are known to inhabit the area. Additionally, Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) management will be integral to the project, supporting existing management efforts within the catchment. Improving fish passage was also a key component of the feasibility assessment.
A drone shot of some of the Bayfield Wetlands. Credit: Josh Jaggard.
Amy Prendergast, a Catchment-Coordinator for Broadland and North Norfolk at the Environment Agency, said:
We are thrilled to support this remarkable project near Bayfield to create wetland habitats and improve the River Glaven, a chalk stream. There are so many benefits to this work, including rewetting the site to support thriving wildlife, retaining water during high flows, and enhancing water quality.
Collaborating with the Norfolk Rivers Trust has enabled us to stretch the Water Environment Improvement Funding from the Environment Agency further, leveraging additional investments and funding sources for greater impact.
Jonah Tosney, Technical Director at Norfolk Rivers Trust, said:
We excavated an existing straight ditch, possibly an old course of the River Glaven, and meandered it through the floodplain to slow the flow of water. Old dredging embankments were removed from the river’s edge to restore the natural overflow onto the floodplain, and a series of new wetland pools and scrapes were also created to maximise wildlife benefits.
We look forward to the site further naturalising, with rough and varied vegetation encouraged through grazing practices. The enhanced habitat is already being used by frogs, eels, egrets and otters, which is really promising, and we hope additional species will move in such as water-voles and grass-snakes.