FOUR RIVERS RECOVERY PROJECT:
Regenerating East Suffolk's River Landscapes
The Four Rivers Recovery Project is made possible with funding from East Suffolk Council.
THE PROBLEM
Most of England’s rivers are in a poor state with just one in seven having good ecological status. East Suffolk is no exception, and our river quality has declined in line with the national picture.
Flooding is also having an increased impact on our communities, with rivers and flood plains unable to cope with heavy rainfall.
Despite these concerns, we are privileged to have these important blue-green corridors - if we look after them, they can help us restore lost biodiversity and tackle the effects of climate change.
THE SOLUTION
Action is already being taken in parts of East Suffolk, and now we have the opportunity to build a sustainable and resilient landscape for the future across the whole district.
A new three-year co-funding agreement between East Suffolk Council and Deben Climate Centre will find key areas for focus along each of our main rivers: The Deben, the Alde and Ore, the Waveney, and the Blyth. The aim will be to restore degraded ecosystems, support nature recovery and test a range of different flood alleviation measures.
By the end of the project we want to be able to measure increased biodiversity, improved water quality and a reduction in flooding; all of which should contribute to the resilience of the working environment and it's communities.
The 3 key elements of our Four Rivers Recovery Programme are:
1. Workshops and training.
With groups of local councils, community groups, landowners and others living and working near East Suffolk’s waterways. This will enable them to assess and prioritise problems contributing to degraded rivers and to propose strategic recommendations for the recovery to good ecological condition.
2. A district-wide citizen science river project.
Building on the work of the Deben Climate Centre. This will allow us to build a website with up-to-date information about water quality in our rivers, available for all to access. It will provide evidence to support best practice in sustainable land stewardship, circular lifestyles and climate change action.
3. Nature-based solutions to improving ecological conditions of rivers.
Strategic recommendations could include small scale interventions such as leaky dams, creating buffer strips & ‘spongy landscapes’, regenerative agriculture, tree planting, as well as a more ambitious programme of beaver reintroduction.
GET INVOLVED
This project needs partners – if it is to succeed, a wide range of people and organisations need to be part of it. If you are a landowner or are involved with a parish council, an interested business, a community group or a nature-focused organisation, or an individual interested in the project, please get in touch. We can support your community and others nearby to produce and deliver a nature recovery plan.
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