Rivers and wetlands

What’s happened to our rivers?

Rivers are at their best when they flow freely and naturally. Over time, human activity has dramatically changed our rivers. We’ve straightened them, built dams and embankments, and buried them in concrete tunnels known as culverts.

These changes have stripped rivers of their natural ability to handle challenges like water pollution, floods and droughts, and have harmed the wildlife that depends on them.

Across river catchments, we design and deliver restoration projects that bring our rivers and wetlands back to life. We collaborate with catchment management groups to identify key issues and prioritise actions.

Bringing rivers back to life

We’re working to reverse this damage by restoring rivers to a healthier, more natural state. While we can’t make every river totally wild again, we use a variety of techniques to help them heal.

How we do it

Restoring natural flow: We add curves back to straightened rivers, a process known as ‘rewiggling’. This helps improve water quality and creates a more diverse habitat for wildlife.
Connecting with floodplains: By re-connecting rivers to their surrounding floodplains in strategic locations, we can increase natural flood storage and revive wetlands and marshes.
Removing barriers: We remove or bypass man-made barriers like weirs and culverts to open up migration routes for fish and other wildlife.
Creating complex habitat: We create features like backwaters, berms and wetlands that provide shelter for wildlife and help filter out pollutants. This also includes establishing or enhancing riparian buffers - strips of native trees and plants alongside the river - which stabilise banks, filter run-off pollution, and provide essential shade and habitat. We also add natural materials like wood and gravels to the riverbed to create complex habitats and spawning grounds.
Protecting wildlife: We manage invasive species that threaten native plants and animals. We also reintroduce native species to improve habitats, stabilise riverbanks and boost biodiversity.
Improving water quality: We use nature-based solutions, such as treatment wetlands, to naturally clean water before it flows into the river system.

The benefits

Together, these efforts help rivers and wetlands regain their natural, self-regulating functions - benefitting everything from fish and birds to local communities.

Donate today

Help secure a future for our rivers

Your donations are vital in helping us restore and protect Norfolk’s beautiful waterways – before it’s too late. Together, we can make a lasting impact, benefitting both people and wildlife.

£5 per month £10 per month £25 per month Custom amount

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