Environment Agency Kicks Off Ouseburn River Scheme

An Environment Agency funded partnership project to protect and preserve the Ouseburn River in the North East has officially started.

“Groundwork North East & Cumbria is working with partners from across the region to protect and preserve the upper part of the Ouseburn River,” the agency said in its latest release.

Working with partners including landowners, communities, schools and local businesses, Groundwork will carry out a number of enhancements to the river and the surrounding environment to improve water quality through a number of environmental improvements.

The project will implement several physical measures to slow the flow of the river, including widening it at strategic points, sculpting areas of the river bank, altering meanders and installing silt traps.

Lesley Silvera, Senior Project Officer at Groundwork North East & Cumbria, said: “It’s fantastic that the Ouseburn River Restoration Project is now off the ground. Over the next two years, we will be working closely with third parties to improve the water quality and ecology of the river.

“We’ll also be looking to survey and eradicate invasive species, remove litter, monitor wildlife and plant trees, which will keep the river cool, create riverbank habitats and help prevent bank erosion.”

The work is funded primarily through the Environment Agency. Additional funding is from Groundwork NE & Cumbria, Northumbrian Water Ltd, Newcastle University.

[mappress mapid=”23745″]