The River Yare, a rare chalk stream, has had a range of improvements to benefit wildlife and improve water quality.

Woody debris from trees was stacked along the riverbank to create ‘brash berms’. This technique will help to narrow the river and get it to a more natural state, after it was historically altered to help with milling. The brash berms will also trap sediment, improving water quality.

Wood was also used to create areas with different velocity of flow. This will provide wet and dry areas to help aquatic invertebrates and riverside wildflowers thrive.

Additionally, the material was used to create areas of refuge for the fish. This will supply them with cover from predators and give them shelter in higher flows.

The woody debris was brought onto site using heavy horses to reduce the need for heavy machinery, which in turn reduces the project’s carbon footprint.

Read more here