Artificial changing habitats (Rivers)

[Deleted member 34935]

There is a section of river, that is my favourite spot to photograph river birds. I've got a ambitious plan to promote the local ecology and I just wanted to share it with you and ask on feedback with ethics and thoughts.

I should start by saying that I have permission from the land owners on either side of the river to do minor changes.

The first thing I want to do is to encourage Kingfishers to nest, currently the 3 banks they have used the past couple of years are covered in vegetation, my first task will be remove the dead brush that covers them. There are currently no Kingfishers on the river, so my work won't be disrupting them.

Second thing I want to provide a perch for the Dipper, I've found a larger flat rock that is currently submerged I want to move it so that it is above the water. From the books and articles I've read they like a large piece of flat rock they can use to rest between dives.

Just wondered what you thought about changing the river around you to not only your benefit but the wildlife's to. Is there anything else anyone could suggest?

 

[Alastair]

Take advice from your local wildlife trust.

Don't rely on just permission from the landowner, check the status of the river - high quality watercourse may have specific protections that the landowners may or may not remember. Be careful removing "dead brush" that might be vegetation stabilising the bank and preventing erosion.


Edit: the owners of land either side of the river may not own the river itself. Frequently the river (which may or may not include the banks) may be owned by a water authority, angling association or a private fishing group. They'll almost certainly have something to say about changes that affect the fishing. Something else you need to check before making alterations.

I would advise against any alterations (no matter how well intentioned) without consulting the local wildlife trust. For what it's worth, Ecology was my degree subject many moons ago and my opinion is based on this knowledge on the basis that without a better description and/or photographs of the location there is no possibility of giving more specific advice.

 

[Deleted member 34935]

Take advice from your local wildlife trust.

I've actually been in contact with them, we're in talks about longer term projects with the river. I can see what your concern is though, I completely understand about the rules and regulations surrounding rivers and watercourses, particularly rivers that fall with in a ASSI (Areas of Special Scientific Interest).

Be careful removing "dead brush" that might be vegetation stabilising the bank and preventing erosion.

We (landowners and I) have identified a couple of banks, one of which is being eroded quickly we've decided to leave it however the other 3 have over hanging bracken that just needs to be cleared slightly, we aren't removing any planets or roots that stabilize the bank.

The rights to the river are managed by the farmer who rents out the land (and river) to a local angling club.

 

[joker2006]

might be worth a pm to fracster.

He has been doing alot of work with similar sorts of things

good luck thou hope it all works out

 

[David Holden]

Have you spoken to the Environment Agency about this? Any changes that affect flow, erosion etc may be of interest to the flood defence people, and the general change may be of interest to the ecologists.

 

[Deleted member 34935]

Have you spoken to the Environment Agency about this?

All I'm doing is cutting back dry dead vegetation (which the land owners have a right to do), and moving one 1 metre by 15 cm by 5 cm slab of rock so that it is higher out of the water giving more surface area for the Dipper.

I'm not doing any land works, moving soil or changing the flow of the river!