A restoration of a 1km stretch of the River Swindale Beck, located near Haweswater Reservoir, in the English city of Cumbria, resurrected nature which had disappeared for about two centuries.
The project, which cost 200 thousand pounds (approximately R$ 1.2 million), was financed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), United Utilities (company that owns the water resources area) and two government agencies dedicated to the environment environment.
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The site's history begins in the 19th century, when the community of Swindale began an ambitious project to straighten the river section, accelerating the flow of water in the valley and expanding the area of agricultural land surroundings.
However, such intervention resulted in unwanted side effects. The river's increased speed has hampered the spawning of fish such as salmon and trout, and increased sediment transport has made the water murkier.
Nature around the river coming back to life (Photo: Victoria Gill / BBC / Reproduction)
In 2016, the RSPB and its partners, including United Utilities, embarked on a project to “destratify” the river, aiming to return it to its original state.
After studies to locate the ancient watercourse, excavators were hired to create a winding channel that extends about 180 meters longer than the straight line that crossed the valley for two centuries.
The results were impressive, with the restoration of the sinuous curves slowing the flow of water and creating ideal aquatic habitats for water. wild life.
Lee Schofield, from the RSPB, highlighted the benefits of this project:
“We now have vegetation in the river where young fish can shelter, there are gravel banks, deep pools and rapids. There are shallow parts and turbulent parts of the river where the water absorbs oxygen. All of this benefits the entire food chain”, explains the expert.
O British government supports similar conservation projects under the Landscape Recovery Scheme, which funds biodiversity restoration on farmland and river improvements.
For United Utilities, the “derectification” of the river brought the additional benefit of self-cleaning, as rivers with meandering courses have a slower flow and deposit sediment on the banks, reducing the risk of floods.
Ironically, water companies that cause environmental damage can be fined, with the money reinvested in a water restoration fund and used for conservation projects led by community.
United Utilities, which has faced sewage disposal problems, has declared itself committed to protecting water quality and benefiting biodiversity.
