8. Re-naturalising the River Rib at Buntingford
Themes: Ecology and biodiversity; People
Objectives:
- Increase understanding of ways of improving the river
- Improve morphology to increase resilience and restore natural processes
- Engage local communities and raise awareness of the rivers
Project description
Buntingford Town Council are looking to enhance 2km of the River Rib for wildlife and people of the town.
The River Rib has been damaged through historic activities such as dredging and flood defence, as well as suffering low flows and flash flooding at different times of year.
Through the town, the river is set within an artificial concrete channel and a number of fords, culverts and weirs interrupt its natural course. The condition of its habitats is poor; there is a large build-up of silt smothering the river bed, it lacks in-stream vegetation as refuge areas for wildlife and the flow is stagnant and pooled in places.
In partnership with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, a restoration plan was developed in 2018 with the aim of listing out shared objectives for improving the river. A copy of the plan can be found by clicking here.
Project progress:
- Over the course of 2021, Five Rivers were brought on board to develop this plan into designs for a river restoration scheme through the town.
- From 2022, work will begin to deliver the river restoration scheme in sections, as funding allows. Further engagement with the local community is being planned for this time as well.
This work is being partially funded by DEFRA's Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
We are seeking extra funding to deliver the remaining restoration work from 2022 onwards.
Please contact the project lead if you would like to support this project.
Project lead: Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
Project partners: Buntingford Town Council
Funding source: DEFRA
Project start: 2019
Contact for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
