Riparian zones
Priority areas for riparian buffers have been mapped 30m from main rivers and 20m from secondary rivers. In these areas, the creation and good management of riparian habitat will have particular benefits for both in-river and other wildlife by improving in-river habitat and connecting larger habitats throughout the landscape. Riparian habitat creation is also an effective intervention for improving water quality in rivers (by settling out nutrients) and providing natural flood management.
In rivers’ flood zones, reconnection of rivers to the floodplain and renaturalisation of rivers where feasible is also a priority. This would benefit river ecology, provide potential for wetland habitat creation, improve water quality, and deliver natural flood management.
Priorities for nature recovery
Delivering the priorities for nature recovery is particularly important in the mapped Focus Areas for Nature Recovery. ‘Landscape recovery’ measures, which will have the biggest impact on nature recovery, are particularly relevant in these Focus Areas.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Remove Himalayan Balsam from riverbanks, starting at the top of rivers and working downstream* | Farmers and landowners Communities |
River | N/A |
More rivers and streams have natural courses and profiles, enable free passage of fish, and have more diverse in-river habitat, including spawning habitat in headwater streams.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Re-naturalisation of rivers to their original form or reprofiling of the river to create a more ‘natural’ profile. This could include restoring meanders, removing or setting back flood banks, and/or reconnecting old side channels. | Farmers and landowners | River | Landscape recovery |
| Introduce habitat features such as berms and flow deflectors in rivers to create more habitat diversity. This is particularly useful in river channels that are relatively uniform or highly managed | Farmers and landowners | River | N/A |
| Install natural structures such as leaky dams and let fallen trees in rivers remain in-situ (where appropriate and where the flood risk has been properly assessed) | Farmers and landowners | River | N/A |
| Restore headwater streams to enhance spawning habitat such as river gravels for salmonids, and instream water weeds and substrates for coarse fish egg laying | Farmers and landowners | River | N/A |
| Remove barriers to fish passage, including weirs and culverts, where this is possible, and the retrofitting of structures to include fish passes and mammal ledges where removal is not possible | Local government Farmers and landowners |
River | N/A |
The role of rivers and streams as ecological corridors through the landscape is enhanced, with diverse riparian habitat that benefits a range of species, stabilises banks, captures nutrients, regulates water temperature and provides vital shade during warm weather.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Create and manage riparian buffer strips (of 5-50m, depending on the size of the watercourse, with larger buffers providing greater benefits) of vegetation including trees alongside rivers and streams. This will improve river ecology, create natural corridors, reduce pollution reaching rivers, and provide natural flood management | Farmers and landowners | River | Landscape recovery |
| Manage riparian vegetation to ensure a mosaic of light levels along the river, aiming for a 60/40 ratio of light to shade, and a dense understory to enhance the slow of runoff and increase infiltration rates | Farmers and landowners | River | Landscape recovery |
| Coppice bankside trees to increase their longevity and health | Farmers and landowners | River | Environmental stewardship |
| Active management of poaching by cattle along rivers, which would also help to reduce nutrient load into rivers. This may be achieved through the installation of fencing where it is appropriate and compatible with flood risk maintenance activities. | Farmers and landowners | River | Sustainable farming |
There are more waterbodies that are in good ecological status and support thriving populations of fish and other freshwater wildlife.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Create a sediment pond or trap to provide an area where muddy run-off from fields or tracks is allowed to pond, so that sediment will settle out before entering watercourses | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Reduce run-off of pollutants from farmland through the use of best practice in applying fertiliser, manure and slurry | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Establish a buffer strip (which can contain long grasses, trees, and shrubs) of 4-12m on field boundaries or runoff channels. This can reduce nutrient and pollutant runoff into watercourses and provide habitat for wildlife | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Improve management of manure and slurry to reduce pollution (e.g. roofing manure storage or manure storage pads) | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Reduce the pollution caused by the transport network (particularly by cars through tyre and brake wear) by encouraging reduced use of private cars and more careful driving styles, encouraging manufacturers to produce tyres with less ecologically damaging components, and ensuring regular emptying of gullies. | Local Government Businesses Communities |
N/A | N/A |
| Reduce the frequency of continuous and intermittent point source pollution from sewage discharges | Businesses | N/A | N/A |
| Reduce the quantity of pollutants entering the freshwater environment from wastewater treatment works | Businesses | N/A | N/A |
| Ensure correct management of private septic tanks to reduce leakage of pollutants into the environment; and investigate and resolve drain misconnections in homes | Communities | N/A | N/A |
| Reduce demand on water supply through more efficient use of water in homes, businesses, and in farming | Businesses Communities Farmers and landowners |
N/A | N/A |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Protect beavers from recreational disturbance and persecution, while managing conflict with other land uses where it arises | Farmers and landowners | N/A | N/A |
| Protect crops from beaver activity by using fencing that prevents beavers accessing the land to forage | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Make a natural space of 20 metres or more for beavers alongside the river edge, planting native species such as willow and aspen. This will reduce the likelihood of beavers foraging elsewhere on your land | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Control populations of American mink to protect native species, including water vole | Farmers and landowners | N/A | N/A |
| Carefully planned reintroductions of water vole | Local Government | N/A | N/A |
Relevant priority species
- Atlantic Salmon
- Brown/Sea Trout
- Eel
- European Beaver
- Water Vole
- White-clawed Crayfish