A partnership project to restore habitats in a Lake District valley has won an award.
The Swindale Valley Restoration Project involved a partnership of the RSPB, United Utilities, the Environment Agency and Natural England, to restore watercourses, bogs, meadows and woodlands.
More than 160 years ago the Swindale Beck was straightened, deepened and embanked.
While the changes made sense then, the natural environment suffered, and the effects of this were continuing to be felt into the present day, the partnership said.
Peatland was drained, species-rich hay meadows were fertilised and overgrazed, and native woodland was degraded. The restoration project which began in 2016 set out to deliver a range of interventions in Swindale that would reverse impacts of the past.
The work has won the 2022 UK River Prize Project-scale Award.
It reintroduced bends to the river, slowing the flow of the water. It has improved water quality and reduced the risk of downstream flooding and enhanced the natural landscape. The main phase of the work was completed in 2016, but further work has seen additional areas of floodplain reconnected, new wetlands created and further meanders restored.
Another part of the project involved restoring a large area of blanket bog at the top of Swindale Valley. The blocking of 29 miles of moorland drains will lead to increased carbon storage which helps combat climate change, raise the water table, naturally purify the water and provide a home to a wide range of specialist wildlife, the partnership said.
Newly planted trees in the valley will also store carbon, slow the flow of surface water and help reduce the risk of flooding downstream. The hay meadows in the river’s floodplain are also managed sensitively for the wildlife living there.
The UK River Prize is hosted and awarded annually by the River Restoration Centre as part of the River Restoration Network Conference. Organised with the centre, Arup, Atkins and Natural Resources Wales, it aims to celebrate and recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations committed to restoring the UK’s rivers.
Lee Schofield, senior site manager for the RSPB at Haweswater, said: “Restoring Swindale Beck closer to its natural course is probably the most visible part of restoration work we have done so far at Haweswater. It is a great example of how positive environmental improvements can be delivered within a farmed landscape.
“Finding ways to ensure these upland habitats perform once again for water, wildlife and people is at the centre of everything we do. The project was a true team effort and we are delighted to have been honoured with this award by The River Restoration Centre.”
John Gorst, catchment partnership officer for United Utilities, said: “It’s fantastic that the work carried out at Swindale Beck has been recognised with this award.
“Schemes like this show what can be done to improve the health of our rivers by working in partnership and it’s testament to the approach that has been taken across the wider Haweswater catchment.”
