Restoring the natural function of our rivers, streams, and lakes involves a range of actions. These could include controlling pollution, abstraction, and non-native species, removing physical modifications, and re-establishing natural riparian vegetation (including trees). Such restoration not only generates high-quality aquatic and wetland habitat mosaics for our native wildlife, but it also helps with downstream water quality, resilience of water supplies, and flood risk management.
Principles for restoring natural function and making the most of the opportunities that exist are explained in the freshwater and wetland habitat narrative and summarised in biodiversity guidance developed for the Water Framework Directive Catchment-Based (CaBA) initiative operating in England.
The Restoration Priorities project allows local partnerships to add their priorities for restoring natural river, stream, and lake function so that we can build up a locally relevant national map of restoration priorities. This will help generate strategic support for relevant local projects through the new Nature Strategy that Defra is developing to succeed Biodiversity 2020 and within the Water Framework Directive river basin management planning process.
Practical information on restoring natural function to freshwater habitats is available from a range of sources including the River Restoration Centre and the Freshwater Habitats Trust.
You can also get involved in practical restoration works in your area. Many organisations coordinate volunteer efforts on freshwater sites, including the Wildlife Trusts, the Rivers Trusts and the National Trust. Go to their websites to find out about projects in your local area.
You can find out more about some local initiatives here. Contact us if you would like your local initiative added to this list.