A freshwater stream - photo credit Jon Traill
Flood defences, naturally. Riparian corridors are the plant communities bordering the banks of our rivers and streams: they filter run off water and preserve good water quality, protect the banks from erosion, and provide key storage areas for flood waters at those times when the river runs high. They are also important sources of food and habitat for our fish and our wildlife. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is working with the flood-hit Doncaster community to promote fresh appreciation of these areas.
In 2007, the much publicised summer floods put much of the Doncaster area under water, and none suffered more than the village of Toll Bar. Flooding from the Ea Beck, a tributary of the River Don, also affected the nearby town of Adwick-le-Street, with many surrounding villages also suffering considerable loss and damage. Unfortunately, most predictions of current and impending climate change forecast that these extreme weather events, especially associated with flooding, are likely to become more frequent. The Pitt Review, commissioned specifically to learn lessons from the 2007 floods, recognised that not enough emphasis is put on the potential wildlife benefits from creating natural flood management systems. In response to this, the project will therefore aim to:
- Provide advice to enable riparian landowners to enter the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) environmental stewardship scheme by targeting a number of key landowners in the catchment.
- Work with the Environment Agency to ensure that the project’s objectives match theirs for the area.
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Work with Doncaster Council to ensure that relevant Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) within the project area are brought into positive management by:
- Allocating Project Officer time for landowner liaison and writing management plans to improve current management regimes.
- Providing opportunities for local volunteer placements.
In addition, the project will aim to develop appreciation of this natural resource in an area where the river is regarded negatively due to the problems in 2007. This and other community engagement will include:
- Developing partnerships with local communities.
- Leading educational walks and practical events in the project area.
A large version of this project area map is available to download at the bottom of the page.
Contact
Please email Project Officer Tom Hayek for more information on the project or call 01302 343556
Downloads
| Filename | File size |
|---|---|
| EB & Flow Project Area map.jpg | 4.46 MB |
