A floodplain is a large, flat expanse of land that forms on either side of a river, stretching to the valley edges. Created over thousands of years as the river meanders back and forth across the valley floor, floodplains are a dynamic system that provide a range of benefits to the ecosystems and communities that surround them. The natural process of a floodplain is to flood when a river rises higher than its banks.
Historically, rivers have been straightened and floodplains drained to suit different land management practices, which has greatly impacted how these habitats function. We are using nature-based solutions to slow water flow, reduce flood risks, and restore freshwater habitats and species.
Our Floodplain and River Restoration work involves:
We work closely with local community members before we carry out large-scale river and floodplain restoration. These consultations both inform our work moving forwards and enable us to share our research and ideas with those living and working locally alongside us.
Where appropriate, we are working to reconnect modified rivers with their floodplains, through removing artificial blockages and historical modifications such as ditches, channels, flood banks, and obstructions.
We use “woody material”, such as uprooted tree trunks, to help return a straightened channel of water into a meandering course, improving habitats for nature and boosting climate resilience.
The range of habitats created by the simple and effective installation of woody material provides spawning, feeding and resting habitats for fish such as Atlantic Salmon. A wide range of aquatic invertebrates will also benefit from this ‘messier’ habitat, and birds like Dippers, Kingfishers and Goldeneye will reap the benefits of healthier invertebrate and fish populations. Read more about this work here.
This work allows water to flood naturally over areas of land within the project area, where this does not adversely affect other properties or livelihoods.
