Case study:River Ecclesbourne Restoration Project

Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Land use management - agriculture, Monitoring, Social benefits, Spatial planning, Urban, Water quality
Country	England
Main contact forename	Jennifer
Main contact surname	Kril
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
Contact organisation web site
Partner organisations
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

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Project summary

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The River Ecclesbourne Restoration Project (Derbyshire, England) is a six‑plus year, partnership‑led programme to restore river health and reconnect migratory fish to upstream habitat. It targeted two major barriers: Snake Lane Weir (2.5 m) and Postern Mill Weir (2 m), delivering a phased approach, removal and rock‑ramp installation at Snake Lane (Phase 1, winter 2022) and a 400 m re-meander and paleochannel reconnection at Postern Mill (Phase 2, winter 2023 – spring 2024). The work was driven by long‑term evidence showing severe fragmentation (20+ years of Environment Agency surveys) and by the return of migratory salmon to the Derwent after earlier catchment improvements. Interventions emphasised working with natural processes: regrading channels, creating riffle–pool sequences, restoring sediment continuity, and reconnecting floodplain and paleochannel to allow dynamic morphological adjustment. Delivery combined technical design, regulatory oversight and blended funding from partners including Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (lead for Postern Mill), Wild Trout Trust (lead for Snake Lane), the Environment Agency, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages and Chatsworth Estate. Community engagement, volunteer habitat work and education were integral throughout. The project cost exceeded £1 million (Snake Lane ~£500k; Postern Mill ~£450k) and completed physical works in 2025, with complimentary wider catchment restoration (Invasive species control, tree planting and biodiversity enhancements, with monitoring funded through 2029. The scheme sits within a coordinated catchment strategy (Derbyshire Derwent Catchment Partnership, Humber River Basin Management Plan and Derbyshire Derwent Fish Passage Project) and contributes to wider ambitions to reopen the Derwent and Trent catchments to migratory fish. “The River Ecclesbourne Restoration Project is the result of more than six years of dedicated partnership work to improve river health and restore fish passage across the catchment."

Monitoring surveys and results

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Monitoring is multimethod and repeatable, designed to measure habitat change, species response and connectivity. Core elements are: annual electrofishing at six historic EA sites to track species composition, abundance, biomass and age structure; eDNA sampling for early detection of low‑density or cryptic species; redd counts each autumn/winter to map salmon spawning distribution; fixed‑point photography and drone surveys to document geomorphic evolution; trail cameras to record wildlife use; and UKHab assessments to classify habitat condition. Additional techniques included non‑EA electric fishing surveys, repeat visits to assess rust‑fungus biocontrol trials for invasive plants, and hydraulic/flow modelling used both in design and post‑event evaluation. These complementary methods provide quantitative and qualitative lines of evidence for adaptive management and are repeated on a defined schedule to allow before/after and upstream/downstream comparisons.

Results: The project reopened previously inaccessible habitat and produced clear biological responses: salmon recolonised upstream reaches within months of Snake Lane works (a spawned‑out hen found 1 km upstream), and by 2025 an Atlantic salmon parr plus several newly recorded coarse fish species were documented at Postern Mill, confirming reconnection. Electrofishing and eDNA confirm return and movement of species including Atlantic salmon, chub, grayling and gudgeon. Morphological monitoring shows active sediment transport, evolving riffles, pools and meanders; trail cameras and public reporting demonstrate increased wildlife use and strong community interest. The scheme gained national/international attention (Dam Removal Europe finalist; Natural History Museum case study).

Lessons learnt

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- Work with natural processes rather than over‑engineering: re-meandering and floodplain reconnection produced rapid geomorphic recovery and self‑sustaining habitat complexity. - Robust evidence and modelling matter, especially under extreme weather: detailed hydraulic modelling supported design decisions and proved accurate during Storm Babet, informing emergency responses and building public confidence. - Partnerships and blended funding accelerate delivery and broaden ownership; engaging landowners and tenant farmers early secured permissions and stewardship. - Community engagement and transparent communication (GIS storyboards, QR codes, videos, field visits) are essential for social licence and long‑term stewardship.

Overall, the Ecclesbourne project demonstrates that targeted, evidence‑led barrier removal and channel reconnection can rapidly restore connectivity and biodiversity while delivering multiple social and climate‑resilience benefits.

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Location: 53° 0' 54.00" N, 1° 32' 33.90" W

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information