Following close collaboration across our Geomorphology, Ecology, Heritage, Engineering, Modelling, GIS and Landscape teams, innovative work to return a section of the River Aller to its original floodplain has now been completed. Having been in development since 2020, this National Trust project is one of the first large scale ‘Stage 0’ restoration schemes in the UK and will help to mitigate the impact of climate change.
A first of a kind solution
Working alongside the University of Nottingham, US Forest Service, Environment Agency (EA) and Wolf Water Resources, the JBA designed river restoration scheme will allow natural processes to develop over time.
By returning a section of the river to a more natural multi-threaded wetland course through its floodplain the scheme will help to mitigate the impact of climate change, reduce flood risk, store carbon, improve water quality and make more space for nature.
What is Stage 0 restoration?
Stage 0 is a recently developed concept in scientific literature that refers to the impact of human disturbance on land use, sedimentation, and channel shape through land drainage and flood risk management strategies. This results in many streams and rivers becoming incised and entrenched within their floodplains, whilst others become perched above the natural valley floor. The philosophy of Stage 0 restoration is to work with natural processes to rehabilitate a modified and incised, or aggrading, channel network and restore the water connection to its floodplain.
For more information about this project please contact Matt Hemsworth.
