A £282,000 project involving the Environment Agency, Norfolk Rivers Trust and Water Resources East to create floodplain wetlands along a section of the River Yare has been completed.

The project creates a healthier, more dynamic and resilient river and floodplain habitat along the River Yare. The River Yare is one of only 210 chalk streams worldwide: making it an incredibly rare and precious habitat. Most chalk streams are in southern England—including 58 in East Anglia alone.

The Environment Agency provided a third of the funding, with additional funding support from the Norfolk Water Strategy Programme (NWSP) along with in-kind donations.

NWSP is hosted by Water Resources East in partnership with Norfolk County Council, Anglian Water and The Nature Conservancy with support from WWF and Finish partnership.

The project involved creating a 651-metre meandering river channel and reconnecting the River Yare to its lowland floodplain meadow.

This reconnection will restore natural processes, enhance river habitats; resilience by slowing water flow, and promote sediment deposition on the floodplain during floods; improving water quality.

In addition, a mosaic of new wetland habitats, including 6 scrapes and 2 ponds covering an area of 10,696 m2, has been created.

Boost for habitat quality

The features will enhance water storage during high flows, providing natural flood management and increased groundwater infiltration.

The changes to the river flows will boost habitat quality and complexity, benefitting species like water voles, insects, breeding wader birds, reptiles and marginal plants.

Amy Prendergast, Catchment Delivery Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

“Restoring biodiversity in partnership projects like this is incredibly important to protecting the South Norfolk landscape.

“The team worked hard to bring this high-quality design, which was bespoke to the site, to life with climate change adaptations in mind. We look forward to working closely with partners again in future.

Donna Dean, NRT’s River Restoration Team Leader, commented:

“We faced several challenges completing this project, including two very wet periods. Despite this, it’s been incredibly rewarding to see the wetlands come to life as they fill with water.”

Restoring meandering rivers and re-wetting landscapes is a major win for both wildlife and river health. After the recent rainfall, the floodplain is functioning naturally, storing water and reducing peak flows downstream.

Already, the site is being visited by a variety of bird species, including snipe, little egrets, oyster catchers and sandpipers.

Hannah Gray, Water Resources East’s (WRE) Programme Manager for Nature-Based Solutions, said:

“WRE were thrilled to bring additional funding partners together to deliver water security and biodiversity improvements in the Yare catchment.

“As one of the first pilot projects in our Norfolk Water Strategy Programme, the River Yare restoration scheme has provided valuable insights for our growing portfolio of nature-based solutions investments.”