The project, which restored a 1km stretch of the river creating a more natural environment, was commended by the National Waterways Renaissance Awards.
In early 2011 high flows on the River Ribble punched a hole through a man-made flood bank. This provided a rare opportunity to put in place a more sustainable solution to manage the river banks and improve the local environment. By removing the breached embankment and building a new one further back the Ribble was reconnected to its natural flood plain.
It also provided an opportunity to remodel the river to a more natural shape, providing more opportunities to store water during a flood and a varied river bed for fish and other wildlife. The project provided fencing to stop livestock getting into the river, adding sediment and damaging the banks. Trees were also planted along the bank proving more shade for fish while creating an area of wet riverside woodland.
This work was only made possible by organisations, including the Environment Agency, Natural England, RSPB, Ribble Rivers Trust and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and local land owners working together in partnership.
Steve Molyneux, Environment Agency Manager, said:
“By seizing an opportunity that nature presented to us, this long standing partnership was able to restore this section of river in a way that rebuilt and created a more resilient natural environment for wildlife.
I hope that we continue to work together and with others to restore even more sections of the Ribble for the benefit of river users, farmers, the local community and the nationally important wildlife along the river”
