It is hard to pick a better time than at the end of a long, intense, and dry heatwave, to put into perspective the importance of water environment stewardship. The photos we were shown of an arrow-straight channel corridor, which since the 18th Century has made every effort to evacuate the land of its water, were a stark reminder that the decisions we make have lasting impacts into the future. Gratefully, we viewed this relict of the past from the newly reconnected floodplain that resulted from the EU LIFE WADER project partnerships along the River Breamish at the Harehope Estate in Northumberland.
A combination of LiDAR, historic maps, and sediment coring has enabled the team to identify the former flow paths and depths of the original, pre-engineered channel course that flowed through the floodplain. Now they have brought this river back to life. The floodplain has been reactivated, creating wetland habitat and flood storage. Heavy flooding events since the initial excavation has fast-tracked that transformation, presenting a wider meandering channel filled with gravels, which paints a bold contrast against the silty, straight, and overdeepened channel that has dominated the landscape for over 200 years.
Due to the recent drought the river was as dry as it has ever been since restoration. Although a slim silver-lining, this allowed us to walk most of the restored palaeochannel from within the banks and observe the geomorphic processes and the strata of gravels that signified that a high energy river system had flowed through here in the past. We stepped over green puddles signifying the issues of nutrient enrichment presented by nearby agriculture.
The scheme is bolstered by impressive wooden dams installed to encourage flow into the newly reconnected floodplain. Stands of willow that have colonised the straightened channel riverbanks are now helping to stabilise the new dam structure. Once the dams have had time to settle, the team hope that natural processes will allow the river to regain the majority of its former flow and for the existing straightened channel to take on a more minor role is providing backwater habitat and fish refuge.
Ambition for a full restoration of flow back into the palaeochannel is somewhat limited by the requirement to retain the evolved habitat in the existing straightened channel, particularly the still and silty environment favoured by the lamprey population. Damselflies flittering about a sunny pool below the bankside willows defiantly illustrated the persistence of nature when left to its own devices. Natural processes will finally be allowed to dominate the landscape as the River Breamish, now kickstarted, is left to form its own path in the floodplain and start to morph the landscape and improve wetland habitat.
We thank Heather, Phil, Eleisha, Andrew, and Neil for sharing their wonderful work with us. The project is the result of a partnership between the Tweed Forum, Environment Agency, Natural England and local landowner Harehope Estate. Learn more about the project from the Tweed Forum here.