Restoring the River Wandle at Culvers Avenue
Discover how we’re restoring the River Wandle at Culvers Avenue by improving habitats, increasing biodiversity and supporting a healthier river ecosystem.
Overview
Helping rivers recover, reconnect and thrive
Healthy rivers support wildlife, people and places. But many rivers have been altered over time – straightened, disconnected from their floodplains, or confined by hard engineering. This has reduced habitat quality, increased flood risk and limited the natural benefits rivers provide.
We work to enhance rivers by restoring natural processes, improving habitats and reconnecting rivers with the landscapes around them.
What do we mean by enhancing rivers?
Enhancing rivers means working with nature to help rivers function more naturally again.
This can include:
- Re-naturalising river channels (e.g. reintroducing meanders, gravel and natural features)
- Reconnecting rivers to their floodplains and wetlands
- Improving riverbanks and surrounding habitats
- Removing or adapting barriers to restore natural flow
These approaches help rivers regain the physical processes they need to sustain healthy ecosystems over the long term.
An aerial shot of scrapes at the River Beult Water Resilience project in Kent © South East Rivers Trust
Why enhancing rivers matters
When rivers are working well, they deliver a wide range of benefits:
More space for wildlife
Enhancing rivers creates diverse habitats for fish, birds, insects and plants, helping biodiversity recover.
Cleaner water
Natural river processes filter pollutants, trap sediment and improve overall water quality.
Reduced flood risk
Reconnecting rivers to floodplains and wetlands helps store water and slow flows during heavy rainfall.
Climate resilience
Healthy rivers and wetlands can store carbon, manage drought and adapt to more extreme weather.
Benefits for people
Enhanced rivers create better places for communities to connect with nature, improving wellbeing and local environments.
How we enhance rivers
We take a catchment-based approach, working across whole landscapes to deliver long-term improvements.
Our work includes:
- Designing and delivering river restoration projects
- Creating and restoring wetlands and floodplain habitats
- Installing natural features like woody material and gravel to support river processes
- Working with landowners, farmers and partners to improve land and water management
- Using data, monitoring and evidence to guide and evaluate our work
By addressing the root causes of river degradation, we help ensure lasting change.
In channel tree works at Morden Hall Park on the River Wandle © South East Rivers Trust
Discover our river restoration projects
Working with nature for lasting impact
Enhancing rivers is about more than fixing individual sections – it’s about restoring natural systems at scale.
By working with natural processes, we can:
- Build healthier, more resilient river catchments
- Support thriving wildlife and ecosystems
- Reduce pressures from climate change and human activity
This approach delivers long-term benefits for both nature and communities.
See river restoration in action
Explore how we’re enhancing rivers across the South East, from reconnecting floodplains to creating thriving habitats for wildlife and communities.
