River Lee Country Park

Owned and managed by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, the River Lee Country Park covers over a thousand acres between Broxbourne and Waltham Abbey. All the main watercourses in the Lower Lea flow through the Park – the River Lee Navigation, Old River Lea, Small River Lea, Cornmill Stream and flood relief channel. The Park contains a mosaic of habitats included water-filled former gravel pits, carr woodlands, marsh, fen and grasslands. The associated wildlife includes internationally important populations of gadwall and shoveler ducks. The bittern watchpoint at Fishers Green provides naturalists with one of the best opportunities in the country to see this elusive reedbed bird. Hall Marsh Scrape is a shallow wetland created by the Regional Park Authority in the 1980s which attracts wading birds such as snipe, lapwing and redshank. The Olympic white water canoe centre is located in the south of the Park at Waltham Cross.  Car parks are located on the boundary of the Park and there is access through the Park via a network of surfaced footpaths and cycleways.

Further information about the River Lee Country Park can be found here.

A map is available here.

River Lee Country Park

Owned and managed by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, the River Lee Country Park covers over a thousand acres between Broxbourne and Waltham Abbey. All the main watercourses in the Lower Lea flow through the Park – the River Lee Navigation, Old River Lea, Small River Lea, Cornmill Stream and flood relief channel. The Park contains a mosaic of habitats included water-filled former gravel pits, carr woodlands, marsh, fen and grasslands. The associated wildlife includes internationally important populations of gadwall and shoveler ducks. The bittern watchpoint at Fishers Green provides naturalists with one of the best opportunities in the country to see this elusive reedbed bird. Hall Marsh Scrape is a shallow wetland created by the Regional Park Authority in the 1980s which attracts wading birds such as snipe, lapwing and redshank. The Olympic white water canoe centre is located in the south of the Park at Waltham Cross.  Car parks are located on the boundary of the Park and there is access through the Park via a network of surfaced footpaths and cycleways.

Further information about the River Lee Country Park can be found here.

A map is available here.

Footpaths

You can walk the entire length of the River Lea from its source to its confluence with the River Thames. For more information see the website.

These themes and objectives were developed during catchment partnership workshops held during 2014. People and organisations with a stake or an interest in the river were asked to suggest their ideas about what the aims of the catchment management plan should be.

The themes and objectives of the Lower Lea Catchment Plan are:

EDUCATION AND MONITORING

Improve knowledge and understanding of the catchment

Improve awareness of the impact of behaviour on the water environment

Increase public engagement and participation

Promote and improve bio-security measures

WATER QUALITY

Reduce the frequency and severity of pollution

Reduce input of sediment to the river channels

WATER QUANTITY

Improve water management within the catchment

Increase flow

ECOLOGY AND MORPHOLOGY

Restore an ecologically complex structure to the channels

Improve riverine and riparian habitat

Enable fish passage throughout the catchment

Monitor, control and eradicate non-native species

Improve river function and sustainability

About us

The Lower Lea Catchment Partnership is a group of people and organisations who are working to improve the Lower Lea for people and for wildlife. The partnership was formed in 2014 and includes a wide range of organisations, from anglers, parish councils and the Lee Valley Regional Park, to water companies and government agencies.
The partnership meets formally three times a year to review progress and discuss future projects; more informal meetings take place more regularly.  The partnership is being ‘hosted’ by Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, who brought the partnership together. Their role is to organize and co-ordinate the many different members of the partnership, and drive the catchment plan forward. They are also acting as the initial contact point for any enquiries you may have: please contact them with any queries about the partnership.  

If you would like any more information on the work of the Catchment Partnership, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.