For centuries, rivers have been a key part of human life. From helping our ancestors choose strategic locations for settlements, to revolutionising industrial processes, and helping us produce the food and water we need to survive. Of course, rivers are still influencing our lives here in the UK as a key part of our drinking …
Ribble Valley residents are one step closer to the designation of their very own Bathing Water site thanks to the Ribble Rivers Trust’s Safe to Splash campaign. In an announcement this week the Government shared plans to designate the largest ever number of new bathing water sites. In total there are 27 new sites that …
Bathing Water Designation to Ensure Ribble Valley River is ‘Safe to Splash’ Read More »
Rivers across Lancashire and North Yorkshire are receiving a very welcome boost thanks to funding from the Defra £25m Natural Flood Management Fund, which is managed by the Environment Agency. Ribble Rivers Trust, who will be managing the project alongside various partners including Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Heidelberg Materials, and Downham Estate, have been …
Community Catchments: Empowering People, Fighting Floods Read More »
River pollution is hitting the headlines once again. Whilst some river problems provide obvious signs, like visible litter and the smell of sewage, it’s not always easy to tell what healthy rivers look like in comparison to those tainted by pollution. As we already know, rivers are very complex systems that are heavily influenced by …
The secret world of rivers: what do healthy rivers look like? Read More »
Farming is such an important part of our heritage especially here, in the Ribble catchment, where most of our land is utilised for agriculture and food production. It’s also an important part of our local and national heritage. Over many centuries farming has shaped the landscape that we know and love today. From the rolling …
Delivering Farm Advice in Lancashire and North Yorkshire Read More »
In the rolling landscapes of Lancashire, where the countryside meets the water, there are hundreds of miles of riverside woodland. This unassuming habitat offers more than just a pretty view, it plays a vital role in addressing climate change and biodiversity concerns. So, let’s explore river woodlands and we’ll tell you why they are a …
Natural Flood Management (NFM) simply means using natural processes to regulate water flow and reduce flood risk. There are many diverse types of NFM strategies which are all slightly different. However, they all have something in common; they all have reconnecting and renaturalising river systems at their core. Here are some of the ways our …
Ribble Rivers Trust is embarking on an exciting project to restore the banks of Hasgill Beck, near Stocks Reservoir and Gisburn Forest. The Hasgill brash bundling project aims to combat severe erosion and enhance the natural beauty and biodiversity of the area. Located in the picturesque landscape of the Forest of Bowland, this project aims …
Restoring Hasgill Beck: A Brash Bundling Project for Healthy Rivers Read More »
Ribble Rivers Trust is on a mission to protect and restore the wonderful waterways that wind their way through our landscapes. But what exactly are iver catchments, and why are they important? If you’ve ever heard us referring to the Ribble catchment or a catchment-based approach and found yourself a little confused, you’re in the …
River Catchments: How They Work and Why They Matter Read More »
River restoration is at the heart of everything we do, and every day our dedicated team are on the ground working to improve our rivers for wildlife and people. But what exactly is river restoration, and is it really that important? In short, river restoration aims to restore a river to the most natural state …
An epic three-year river engineering project has drawn to a successful close this summer. The Opening Up The River Douglas (OUR Douglas) project, delivered by Lancashire based charity Ribble Rivers Trust, has seen the modification or removal of eight river blocking barriers and weirs in the River Douglas catchment. OUR Douglas commenced work in 2020 …
Breaking down barriers in the River Douglas Catchment Read More »
You’ve probably heard the term fish pass used a lot, but maybe you’re still wondering what they are and why we construct them.
To put it simply, a fish pass is a structure build on, in, or alongside a river barrier. These structures help fish move up and down river blocking barriers like weirs and dams.
An exciting new river restoration project is now underway on the Lancashire and North Yorkshire border. The project, which is based near Halton West, aims to restore and re-wiggle a 144 meter section of Ged Beck to make way for a more natural river system.
