Joy as species finally return to ‘England’s Great Barrier Reef’

A project protecting an area known as “England’s Great Barrier Reef ” is welcoming rare species to the district.

Teams from the Environment Agency and Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership finished work in 2016 to protect the stretch of the Little Stour near Canterbury.

And seven years on from its completion, nature lovers are rejoicing after finding rare and priority species have returned to the area.

There have been reported sightings of Kingfishers, while the presence of otters, eels, bullheads and brook lamprey have been confirmed.

Martin Thomas of the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership said: “I’m struck by how this stretch of river has been transformed by our project. “When I first visited in 2016 to speak to the owners to gain their approval, it was barren – straight, shallow, with little or no vegetation. It’s now teeming with wildlife.

“We’re very grateful to the owners of the river and adjoining land for their enthusiastic support.”

Drone footage recently captured during a survey of the river has found the area is returning to how nature intended.

Nature experts have described chalk streams as a rare and valuable habitat while the Environment Agency has called them “the equivalent of England’s rain forests or Great Barrier Reef ”. Environment Agency technical specialist Tom Reid added: “Chalk streams are precious habitats.

“They are havens for wildlife and highly valued by local communities and visitors alike. “Their future depends on collective action, and this project is therefore a much-needed and welcome step towards addressing the many pressures these rare watercourses face.” Work to protect the chalk stream saw a 300-metre stretch of river between Wickhambreaux village and Seaton Mill transformed using mechanical excavators in a scheme that cost about £28,000.

The machines dug a series of pools into the riverbed, removed gravel from the edges of the watercourse and raised the river banks with clay.

This narrowed the overly-widened stretch.

It also restored the stretch of chalk stream by changing the profile of the riverbed and banks.

It is hoped this will offer flood protection, while also benefitting wildlife in the area. The Environment Agency says that, as a result of the project, it has become much easier for fish to swim through the river and a more varied habitat has developed.

About 85% of chalk streams are found in England, primarily in the south and east, and are considered a rare and valuable habitat. However, serious concerns over the challenges the streams face linger, which include issues like pollution, over-abstraction and habitat degradation. What do you think? Email kentishgazette@thekmgroup. co.uk

An image of the completed chalk stream work along the Little Stour

Work took place in 2016 to protect the chalk stream in Canterbury