NEWS A UK river restoration project, involving researchers from Umeå University, has shown excellent results after one year, with flourishing animal and plant life. This type of intervention may now become a model for river restoration in northern Sweden.
Restoration on this section of the Vargån river resulted in a dramatic increase in habitat diversity.
ImageRichard MasonThe restoration of the River Aller in the UK has gained international attention as one of the first attempts in Europe to reset a river and fully reconnect its waters with the surrounding floodplain. After one year, the results have exceeded the researchers' expectations.
By filling in a 1.2-kilometer managed, straightened, and deepened section of the river, they have dramatically transformed the area, creating seven hectares of waterscapes and wetlands (equivalent to more than ten football pitches), an increase of 1800 percent.
“The speed with which the site developed into a diverse patchwork of habitats has been a real surprise. After only a few months the river was already adjusting, creating deep pools, fast riffles, and a mosaic of wetlands. The system has moved from a very tidy area with little for wildlife to a messy complex jumble of waterscapes and diverse habitats that is full to the brim with a huge variety of plants and animals, including migratory fish,” says Richard Mason from Umeå University.
He is one of the team of researchers from different countries who are monitoring water flow, water quality and changes to habitat.
Restoration to “stage zero” – a complete restart, or a “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” – is gaining momentum internationally due to its potential to increase river resilience and provide critical habitats for many plants and animals, including migratory fish.
Similar river and wetland restorations to the one in UK are currently being undertaken by Länsstyrelsen Västerbotten through the Ecostreams for LIFE project. For example, parts of Vargån, a tributary of the Öreälven in Västerbotten, have been restored with inspiration from “stage zero”. Other watercourses included in the restoration project are Ammerån, Rörströmsälven and Åreälven (Jämtland) and Moälven and Hemlingsån (Västernorrland).
Richard Mason and Lina Polvi Sjöberg from Umeå University will collaborate with Länsstyrelsen to collect data from these novel restoration projects and compare to the River Aller, to gain a global picture of how restoration to Stage Zero can help build resilient rivers for people and wildlife.
“It’s an exciting time for river restoration and this novel technique has real potential to transform our riverscapes, helping animal and plant life and increasing resilience to climate change. What we learn from our detailed monitoring of the River Aller will help river restoration techniques globally. I’m excited to see how the site continues to develop”, says Richard Mason.
