Restoring the River Rib: Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust

This project will restore 4km of the River Rib, a globally rare chalk stream, within the Chaldean Estate in East Hertfordshire. Working across a mixed-use private estate, it will focus on restoring natural river processes, improving hydrological function and reconnecting the river with its floodplain, as well as reverting up to 32ha of arable land to high quality semi-natural wetland habitat.

A range of pressures affecting the River Rib and its floodplain will be addressed through this project, leading to increased resilience and natural functioning of a rare chalk stream.

Our project will improve fish passage through barrier easement or removal, create new wetland habitats and increase connectivity with the floodplain supporting arable reversion, break overland flow pathways and introduce natural flood management measures across the valley sides (ponds, leaky dams, attenuation scrapes), address historic dredging through bank lowering and gravel augmentation and improve in-channel habitat diversity through installation of large woody debris.

Benefits of the project include:

Natural Flood Management; for communities at risk of flooding within the project boundary and downstream at Hertford.
Ecosystem resilience to climate change; drought and flooding impacts are mitigated through lateral floodplain connection and wetting of the wider landscape.
Target species within the Local Nature Recovery Strategy; populations of water vole, wild brown trout and water-crowfoot (an endemic chalk stream plant) are expanded and secured in the catchment.
Carbon capture; as a result of 32 hectares arable reversion and wetland habitat creation across the floodplain

Rivers 2040

A Rivers 2040 project is a place-based freshwater restoration initiative that contributes to the long-term recovery of river catchments through nature-based solutions. Projects can range from restoring floodplains and wetlands, improving water quality, reconnecting rivers to their natural processes, creating habitat for wildlife, reducing pollution, increasing access to nature, or helping communities become more resilient to flooding and drought.

Rivers 2040 aims to bring together multiple environmental, social and economic benefits at a catchment scale, demonstrating how investment in nature can support healthier rivers, thriving wildlife, resilient communities and sustainable economic growth.

Land ownership

Third-party owned: land owned by private individuals, businesses, public bodies, charities, or other organisations.

Delivery approach

Direct delivery: the project delivers change through on-the-ground activity within the project area, implementing interventions that restore, enhance or manage habitats and natural processes.

Project readiness

Development ready: project design is progressing, key stakeholders are being engaged, and business cases, delivery models and investment requirements are ready to be developed.

Partners and funding

Delivery of this project may be supported by a range of partners and funding mechanisms. Funding may already have been secured from multiple sources and at different stages, contributing towards the overall project value and delivery costs. Contact us to explore current funding requirements and how the project could be developed and delivered with your organisation.

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Project benefits

Nature slows the flow

Natural flood management

Natural solutions such as tree planting, reconnecting floodplains and wetland creation, slow the flow of water through catchments, helping to reduce flood risk downstream to homes and businesses. These measures support wildlife, store carbon and improve water quality too.

An expanse of dry, cracked earth at a reedbed, the result of a drought

Nature stores water

Natural drought protection

Restoring habitats such as wetlands and peatlands helps store water in the landscape and builds resilience to drought through maintaining water supplies for both people and wildlife. Re-wetted areas provide a refuge to wildlife and store vast amounts of carbon too.

Bringing back nature’s engineers

Keystone species

Reintroducing keystone species brings back natural processes that improve biodiversity and climate change resilience. Keystone species like beavers and large herbivores are nature’s engineers, shaping their habitats in ways that enhance resilience and help other wildlife thrive.

This Rivers 2040 project is hosted on the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts' website on behalf of Wildlife Trusts. Project goals, fundraising totals and other information reflect the latest information available at the point of publication and may be subject to change.