River Rother bank improvements

The River Rother at Woodhouse was artificially straightened as part of a flood alleviation scheme, resulting in an almost total loss of biodiversity in the river. Sluggish flow, increased sediment and lack of suitable places for invertebrates or fish to spawn made the Rother biologically impoverished. Over the last few years Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust has carried out a number of projects to rewild straightened sections of the Rother without compromising the flood alleviation measures. Berms have been installed to re-meander the river flow, large woody debris introduced to create eddies and riffles where invertebrates and fish can feed and breed and banks have been reprofiled.
We would like to carry out some work to improve the connectivity between the river and the surrounding flood plain which until now have been separated by the steepness of the banks to allow the passage of wildlife between the two and to carry out some planting to provide cover on the banks.