A PROJECT which will benefit a range of wildlife has been completed on the River Stour, near Bures.

The Environment Agency has been working with the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Stour Valley Project and a landowner on a river and floodplain enhancement.

The project, which was funded through Defra’s Water Environment Improvement Fund, will help water voles, fish, and invertebrates to flourish.

This stretch of the Stour near Bures has historically been modified to facilitate milling, navigation and land drainage.

Gazette:

The project was focused on improving the condition of the stretch by enriching the habitats along the river as well as enhancing connectivity with the adjacent floodplain.

Parts of the river edge have been re-profiled to create areas of shallow water which will encourage the growth of marginal plant species.

Five backwaters - an aquatic habitat which connects to the main river - of varying size have also been created along the bank of the river.

Large woody debris has been placed in some of these features to provide a diversity of habitats attractive to invertebrates and fish.

Rob Dryden, a biodiversity specialist from the Environment Agency, said: “We’ve welcomed this opportunity to work with partners to put in place these habitat enhancements to the River Stour and adjacent floodplain grazing marshes.

“We look forward to seeing the increase in biodiversity as the new habitats become established.”

Gazette:

Nigel Chapman, chairman of the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, said: “I am delighted to see this project completed; it will enhance the natural wetland features and the associated wildlife of the nationally-designated landscape.

“With the landowners, Environment Agency and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team working together in this way, we can start pursuing our shared aims for wildlife recovery. That has so many benefits.”

The project has restored more than 400 metres of floodplain ditches, reconnecting them to the river and selectively deepening them so that they will remain wet at all times.

This has substantially increased the area of wetland on the site, providing additional habitat for fish, aquatic invertebrates and aquatic plant species.

A small number of trees will be planted along the river bank to provide additional habitat diversity.

This section of the River Stour supports a population of water vole, and detailed mitigation measures were put in place to minimise any impacts on this species.

Overall the project will result in a net increase in suitable water vole habitat.

Water voles are expected colonise the newly-created wetlands in the years ahead.