{"id":28963,"date":"2023-07-27T10:00:36","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T08:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=28963"},"modified":"2023-07-27T10:27:21","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T08:27:21","slug":"reviving-a-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2023\/07\/27\/reviving-a-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviving a river"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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River engineer George Heritage, writer Tanya Jackson and Jo Radcliffe of the Environment Agency discuss the work involved in restoring the natural course of Goldrill Beck in Patterdale, Cumbria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Reviving a river<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

Good news stories about Britain\u2019s rivers are hard to find in 2023, but in the Lake District, heroic efforts are being made to restore life to lost streams. And the transformation of Goldrill Beck near Ullswater is the jewel in the crown. Tanya Jackson <\/strong>reports<\/p>\n\n

Photos: Dave Willis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Goldrill Beck flows through the Lake District peaks. Once constrained and fast flowing, the river now wanders gently through the landscape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

I<\/span>t is a still, sunny spring day in Goldrill Beck, a meandering river in the Ullswater Valley in Cumbria\u2019s magnificent Lake District. Cradled by mountains, this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is slowly waking up after winter. Brown and white Herdwick sheep graze in a neighbouring paddock, while clumps of soft rushes poke up through the waterlogged grassland. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The unpolluted river trickles fast but shallow, leaving gravel deposits along every bend, \u2018redds\u2019 for critically endangered Atlantic salmon to lay their eggs, which will become nurseries for fry as they emerge. And like the baby salmon, this environment is in its infancy \u2013 at the start of a journey of transformation. At a time when the UK\u2019s rivers are at their most vulnerable, it\u2019s a sight for sore eyes. <\/p>\n\n

Of course, you would expect a bucolic scene like this in the Lake District, one of the UK\u2019s most popular natural beauty spots. But it\u2019s surprisingly rare to see a river meandering along its natural course here \u2013 and just a year ago, this one didn\u2019t. In fact, the last time this river looked like this was three centuries ago, before the whole floodplain was straightjacketed into a canal. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s surprisingly rare to see a river meandering along its natural course here\u201d <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

In the late 1700s, Goldrill Beck was canalised to free up upland for grazing. Running parallel to the A592, the water ran deep and fast and persistently gnawed away at the underside of the road over the years. Walking along the road, you can glimpse the former condition of the beck where a section of the canal still remains \u2013 the water hurtles through, too swiftly for wildlife or plants to inhabit, leaving only large boulders on the river bed. But this is not unusual in the Lake District.<\/p>\n\n

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The river is fringed with wetlands that absorb higher water levels during heavy rainfall

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Small rocks deposited in the river bed make new habitats for invertebrates and fry

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
RIVER RESTRICTION <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

\u201cThe level of historic modification on our river systems is insane,\u201d says Becky Powell, project manager for the Goldrill Beck river restoration. \u201cYou would go a long way on the Lakes to find a river that is fully connected to its floodplain and behaving naturally. Hence the Cumbrian River Restoration strategy has been going since 2009, and the amount of projects it has delivered is huge: over 100. And we have barely scratched the surface.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

But for Goldrill, it took a severe weather event in 2015 to bring the beck up the list of conservation priorities. <\/p>\n\n

On 4 December, Storm Desmond swept through the north of England, dumping more than 34cm rain in 24 hours on Cumbria, flooding 5,600 homes and causing mass devastation across the dale. Becks burst their banks, roads were ripped up, towns and villages were suddenly cut off in all directions. It was a wake-up call for land owners and managers. Together with Natural England, the National Trust was able to convince its farm tenant at Goldrill Beck to sign up to its \u2018Making Space for Water\u2019 scheme within the Countryside Stewardship programme. The vision for a new \u2018rewiggled\u2019 beck began to take shape.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Before restoration, Goldrill Beck was channelled severely, increasing flooding risks. The river\u2019s former course is visible on the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

DRAWING TOGETHER <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

But it wasn\u2019t simply a case of drawing some bendy lines. Extensive research was undertaken both on and off site to plot the most natural course, as lead river engineer George Heritage tells me. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe have put the river back according to what the river wants,\u201d George says. \u201cWe have a river that is split into three different types: a wandering river at the top, which is very active and can move across its landscape; then we go into an \u2018anastomosing\u2019 river [multiple, interconnected channels on an alluvial plain] further down; and then we have some rewiggling a bit further down. All of these are appropriate for the local landscape.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The physical work began in early 2021. With fish still hurtling down the fast-flowing channel, one of the first tasks for the Environment Agency was to move them out of harm\u2019s way. This involved sending a mild electric current to \u2018stun\u2019 them, making them easier to catch in nets, before carefully relocating them. Then it was time for the diggers to move in and carve out a new path for the water. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe new path reconnects the river with the rare wet woodlands habitat\u201d <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Every opportunity for conservation has been taken here. The new path reconnects the river with the rare wet woodlands habitat that was already on site, ready to receive invertebrates, amphibians, bats and reptiles. Endangered black poplar trees of an ancient local strain were planted \u2013 an important wetland tree that provides an early food source for emerging bees and butterflies, as well as cultural significance for Cumbria. An osprey platform has been installed, awaiting the arrival of its first inhabitants. Just a year after its completion, the river is now home to frogspawn, caddisfly and a thriving community of invertebrates, all of which are visible in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Following the river restoration, Goldrill Beck now wiggles wildly and freely through the land, replenishing and restoring the wet woodland habitat. This image captures the \u2018anastomosing\u2019 river section, with multiple channels criss-crossing the grassy plain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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The substrate of the restored river is an ideal habitat for sandpipers that inhabit upland riverbanks

<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

THE GOLDRILL STANDARD <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The restoration at Goldrill Beck was one of 31 case studies that won Cumbrian Rivers the prestigious European Riverprize in 2022, beating competition from across Europe. But it\u2019s only the start. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very hard to see a state where we can reduce flooding, hold water and have good internal habitat without addressing all the modifications on the systems. And the prospect is quite daunting,\u201d says Powell. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cI think everybody who works as a partner on the Cumbrian River Restoration strategy does so because we want to be a good ancestor. We want to go to bed at night thinking that we were on the right side of history with regards to climate change and the biodiversity crisis. And I don\u2019t see that stopping any time soon.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

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Once Goldrill Beck is restored, the aim is to let it evolve naturally, effectively returning its management to nature <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
<\/div>
\n

SEVEN SPECIES WITH NEW HABITATS IN GOLDRILL BECK <\/h4>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/span> North Atlantic salmon fry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This critically endangered species will now be able to create redds (underwater stretches of gravel) in which to lay its eggs. The emerging fry will live in these shallow \u2018nursery\u2019 sections before maturing and migrating to sea. Those adults will one day return to the river to spawn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2<\/span> Water crowfoot <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Featured in episode two of Green Planet, <\/em>this water plant with its white flowers is one of the reasons the wider Eden Rivers area of Cumbria is designated an SSSI \u2013 but until the restoration, it was absent from Goldrill Beck. In May 2023, a large clump was reported to be growing on the site, having found its way down river and settled there, where it will provide shelter for young fish from extreme temperatures and predators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3<\/span> Frogs <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the slower areas of the beck, frogspawn was found in abundance this spring. The ideal conditions for frogs to spawn in are shallow, warm water with plenty of light, so their presence is a good indicator of the diversity of flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4<\/span> Dragonflies and damselflies <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These magnificent insects thrive on wetlands, feeding on midges, flies and in turn are predated by hobbies, wagtails and even frogs. No healthy water ecosystem would be complete without them, and it\u2019s hoped that as the plantlife at Goldrill Beck takes hold, so too will a strong community of these acrobatic insect predators.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5<\/span> Caddisfly <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Leaf caddisfly have already made a home here, and their larvae is visible in the water. Wrapping itself in leaves and silk, the larvae can be found along the water\u2019s edge. Caddisflies are an important food source for Atlantic salmon, brown trout and many birds, including dippers.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6<\/span> Black poplar trees <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A member of the willow family, black poplar trees thrive in wet woodland conditions and provide early food for bees and butterflies, including the very specialised poplar hawk moth. Once widespread in Cumbria, only three specimens remained in the county. The National Trust planted 16 black poplar trees within the site as part of a wider reintroduction project.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7<\/span> Ospreys <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the UK\u2019s largest birds of prey, ospreys were almost driven to extinction during the Victorian era. A handful are found locally in Cumbria and it is hoped that a breeding pair will discover the tall osprey platform that has been installed near the wet woodland at Goldrill Beck.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast<\/strong><\/em>
Listen to the Plodcast episode about Goldrill Beck this autumn on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all good pod providers. <\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n


Tanya Jackson<\/strong> first visited the Lake District in 2013, when playing at the Ullswater Folk Festival, and fell in love with its dramatic skylines and seemingly bottomless lakes. It was a privilege to return in 2023 to see the Cumbrian river restoration first-hand.<\/p>\n\n



<\/p>\n\n

Additional photos: National Trust\/Dom Bush, Land & Sky Media, Getty, Alamy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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