River Beane Flagship Project
Flagship for Change: Restoring the River Beane together
Chalk streams like the River Beane are rare ecosystems that are important to protect, but sadly, our river is not in good condition.
The River Beane Flagship programme is a long-term partnership bringing together organisations, land managers and communities to restore one of England’s globally rare chalk streams. The Flagship represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate the recovery of the Beane, improving water quality, restoring natural flows, rebuilding habitats and strengthening the river’s resilience for both nature and people.
Read more about the Flagship Project, its aims and ambitions from the project launch brochure (PDF file opens in new window)
Background
The national Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy (2021) sets out how we need to work together to safeguard our precious chalk streams and bring them to thriving habitats at the heart of our communities.
“…we are incredibly fortunate to have so many of the world’s precious chalk streams right on our doorstep. They are however facing numerous threats – from over-abstraction to pollution to physical modification.
Addressing these through innovation and working in partnership through the Chalk Streams Restoration Group, we can not only improve the state of our chalk streams but unlock progress for broader Nature recovery too.”
– Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England
The Strategy asked water companies with chalk streams within their supply areas to nominate chalk stream catchments to form a national network of ten flagship restoration projects (delivered through the Water Industry National Environment Programme or WINEP). Our local water company, Affinity Water, selected the River Beane as their chosen river.
The River Beane Restoration Association is helping to lead the way alongside Affinity Water, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency.
Together the partners have the shared ambitious, yet vital vision that by 2050, the River Beane is designated as ‘good’, and is an exemplar for chalk stream restoration, ecological health and as a community asset.
Key objectives include improving the flow and hydrological conditions of the river to support a healthy ecosystem, and habitat restoration of the river channel, banks, and floodplain to support iconic chalk stream species such as Brown Trout, Water Voles and the plant Water Crowfoot.
At the heart of the CaBA River Beane Flagship programme is the principle of restoration being community-led. This Catchment-based Approach or CaBA approach empowers people, groups and organisations from across society to help improve our precious water environments. We’re thinking long-term and we see involving local people, land owners, farmers and businesses as essential if the River Beane is to continue to be cared for after the Flagship programme finishes. The River Beane Catchment Partnership is going to be key to achieving the vision.
We are both proud to be part of forging the way for chalk stream restoration and excited to see more real improvements to the flow of the River Beane, its water quality and the habitats it provides for our native wildlife.