Salmons Brook Healthy River Challenge – Houndsden Spinney Wet Woodland Restoration

Thames21will employ Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and integrated constructed wetland techniques to improve a stretch of the Houndsden Gutter, a tributary of the Salmons Brook. The Salmons Brook is currently failing WFD EU targets due to poor water quality, particularly low dissolved oxygen and high phosphate, along with failures for invertebrates and macrophytes. Pollution comes primarily from road run off and plumbing misconnections. The Houndsden Gutter is of reasonable physical quality but is also badly polluted. The vast majority is in open channel, and it has potential to thrive. Water quality improvements must be tackled in order for this stream to achieve BAP criteria. This project will improve water quality using bioremediation in restored wet woodland. Water will be diverted from the stream into the woodland for cleansing using natural processes before discharging back into the stream.