From The Northern Echo: Tens of thousands of salmon have been helped by a new fish pass as they make their way up the River Tyne in a once-in-a-lifetime journey to spawn. Along with thousands of sea trout, the fish swim up from the sea so they can lay their eggs in the tributaries of the river.
Stroud District Council have produced a new film to describe the technical principles of Natural Flood Management on small streams and their catchments. The film looks at the different techniques and methods they have used and how to build a variety of NFM structures in the landscape. The video describe principles, methods, design and how to maximise multiple benefits for biodiversity and water quality.
Click the link below to view the video.
From WWF via The Guardian: The flooding cycle of the Pantanal is delicate and, if mismanaged, there could be detrimental effects to the wetland. Under the Pantanal Pact, 22 organisations and 25 mayors have come together to restore interconnected water resources. Although the southeast of Brazil has recently recovered from its worst drought in 80 years, the central west of the country seemingly has an abundance of water. It is home to the world’s largest wetland – the Pantanal.
From Eastern Daily Press: “The Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage Board (IDB) has started the second phase of the Upper Wensum River Restoration Project, which will see 2km of the internationally-protected chalk stream habitat restored through the Raynham Estate near Fakenham. It involves installing berms, pools and riffles to reinvigorate natural processes and drive ecological recovery on the waterway, which has a raft of environmental designations including Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). But it has also included the excavation and re-conne
A new report 'River Restoration and Biodiversity' has been published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). The report 'describes the importance of rivers in the UK and Ireland for nature conservation, summarises the damage that river habitats have sustained over many decades, and discusses ways in which repairing damage and restoring river habitats can bring benefits both to wildlife and to human society' (CREW).
From the Cumbria Crack: "West Cumbria Rivers Trust have completed two river restoration projects in West Cumbria this summer to help improve the quality of the River Marron. At two sites at Ullock and Branthwaite on the River Marron, river bank erosion has been reduced and man-made structures have been removed to help naturalise the river, benefit the river ecology and wildlife, and allow fish, such as Salmon, to thrive. At Ullock, a weir was removed and at Branthwaite Hall, an abutment and buttress were removed to help naturalise the river Marron and enable the free movement of native fish
From SEPAView: "World Rivers Day takes place on the last Sunday of September every year. It’s described as “a celebration of the world’s waterways” designed to highlight the many values, and encourage the improved stewardship, of rivers around the world. To mark this we’re looking at the work of the Water Environment Fund (WEF) and how it helps Scotland improve its rivers by removing historic problems and helping return them to a healthier, more natural state."
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From the BBC: "Efforts to save the native white-clawed crayfish from extinction in Wales are showing "encouraging" results. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said an innovative project has seen approximately 4,000 of the threatened crustaceans reared and released here since 2009. The focus is on the River Wye and its tributaries, the last remaining native crayfish stronghold in Wales. Some fear the species could die out completely by 2030. Crayfish are considered a key indicator of the health of our rivers.
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by freshwaterblog: "It’s a common lament to hear from freshwater conservationists: if only our rivers and lakes had better legal protection in response to the many pressures they face. In New Zealand, a new piece of environmental legislation is intended to do just that, by taking the unprecedented step of granting a river the legal rights of a citizen.
The Niagara River in New York State, USA has won this year’s Thiess International Riverprize for transforming the region into one that values and maintains the integrity of its fresh water systems as a major component of regional economic revitalisation. The other two finalists were: