Case Study
River Restoration on the Upper River Arun, Sussex
Location
Slinfold, Sussex
Date
August - November 2015
Client
Arun and Rother Connections (ARC)
Stakeholders
RSPB, Environment Agency, Sussex Wildlife Trust, South Downs National Park Authority, Natural England, West Sussex County Council, Arun and Rother Rivers Trust
Tasks
Restoration of 3.5km of the Upper Arun channel and floodplain, including:
- Restoration of existing flood channel features and a cut-off relic river channel.
- Excavation of a fish refuge embayment and several new scrapes in the floodplain
- Bank and bend stabilisation using hazel spiling, flow defectors and brash revetments
- Installation of site-won large woody debris
- River narrowing below selected meander bends
- Extensive blackthorn coppicing
Key remarks
- We worked with the designers to make use of onsite materials, keeping the project costs down
- All work carried out in accordance with CDM regulations
- Externally sourced chestnut posts obtained from sustainable woodlands
- This project showcases a range of River and Wetland restoration techniques offered by Five Rivers, please Contact Us to discuss how we can relate these techniques to your scheme
Effects
- Restore flow dynamism, flow variability and habitat diversity into this otherwise degraded channel
- Naturalise the morphology of the river and enhance its connectivity with the floodplain
- Works will help this waterbody reach Water Framework Directive (WFD) ‘Good Ecological Status’
