River Restoration

Centuries of straightening, damming and embanking have left rivers less resilient, increasing flood risk and reducing wildlife habitat. We work with farmers to restore rivers to a more natural course—slowing water, improving drainage, and creating improved habitats for endangered fish species such as Atlantic Salmon, that are facing extinction but were once abundant in our rivers and streams.

We don’t need to tear everything down to bring rivers back to life. Strategic changes, removing a weir here, widening a pinch point there, and reconnecting floodplains where it makes sense, can transform degraded waterways while keeping the surrounding land productive. The middle ground works: rivers that meander naturally enough to support habitats, mitigate against flooding while still fitting alongside working farms.

When you store floodwater and slow the flow, you provide a service the whole catchment needs. The funding reflects this—river restoration and water storage rank among the highest-paying options in Countryside Stewardship schemes. Your land becomes part of the solution, generating income while protecting communities downstream and creating the diverse, resilient waterways our landscapes evolved around.