River Restoration

Over centuries the River Waveney and its tributaries have been straightened, deepened, drained, disconnected from the floodplain, obstructed by weirs and had a lot of their natural vegetation removed. This can mean in places the catchment is little more than a series of drainage channels. In this state, the river is less able to function naturally, less able to provide clean water, nurture wildlife or hold floodwater and less resilient to climate change.

River restoration can take many forms. In this project, we are targeting sites where specific needs have been identified, from restoring natural flood management to improving biodiversity. One of the sites is Frenze Beck Nature Reserve, a publicly accessible County Wildlife Site on the outskirts of Diss, managed by River Waveney Trust volunteers. Keep your eyes peeled for signs of new and more diverse life as the restoration progresses!