Restoring a section of the River Stiffkey in Fulmodeston by creating approximately 800 metres of meandering channel – designed to improve water quality, enhance habitats for wildlife and reduce flood risk, while enhancing its aesthetic value for people to enjoy.
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The River Stiffkey has been classed as having a ‘moderate ecological status’ (WFD, 2022) due to physical modifications, pollution from agriculture and sewage, and water abstraction affecting its flow.
At this location, years of modification had straightened, canalised and over-deepened the channel, preventing the river from interacting naturally with its surroundings. As a result, it could no longer complete essential riverine processes such as sediment transport, natural meandering and seasonal flooding - functions that help maintain water quality, recharge underground aquifers and create diverse habitats for wildlife.
Without these processes, the river had become ecologically degraded, impacting biodiversity and overall ecosystem health.
In autumn 2023, water flow was redirected from the modified river channel into an adjacent floodplain meadow, where a new, meandering course was excavated to enhance habitat diversity and improve water quality.
To further support biodiversity, a series of bunds were installed in the existing channel, forming extensive wetland areas. Large woody material was strategically placed in the newly created channel to introduce variations in flow speed, creating both fast-moving sections and slower, more sheltered areas for aquatic life.
Additionally, scrapes and wetlands were dug in natural topographic depressions (low points), offering varied habitats for wildlife. The new channel is 800 metres long, passing through two culverts where it crosses a footpath, before rejoining the modified channel at the southern end of the meadow via an existing ditch network.
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By reconnecting the river to its floodplain, natural flow and function have been restored to this section of the Stiffkey, enhancing both river health and the surrounding landscape.
Floodplain scrapes and meadows now provide vital habitats for a diverse range of wildlife, including invertebrates, amphibians, birds, bats, and other mammals. In less than two years, the site has flourished - otters and countless cased caddisflies have moved in, while cuckoo flowers and alder trees are emerging across the meadow.
These features also improve water storage capacity, reducing flood risk downstream and supporting a more resilient, ecologically rich environment.
The project was funded as part of a broader River Stiffkey project with grant support from Anglian Water’s Get River Positive campaign. With thanks to the landowner for enabling this work to take place.
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