28. Isle of Wight Farm- Restoring the River Misbourne

Aims: Improve wildlife corridors; Manage flow

Water body: River Misbourne

Project description

In several areas along the course of the River Misbourne, the river divides into two channels (generally, the natural channel and a mill leat) and then back again into one channel. One such bifurcation lies at Isle of Wight Farm, to the east of Gerrards Cross. As a result of splitting the flow, neither channel receives sufficient water to clean and oxygenate the gravels for fish to spawn.

The restoration project aimed to create habitat and flow improvements to the River. Tree works were undertaken in May 2018 to let more light into the channel to encourage vegetation to grow, providing food, cover/protection, variation of habitats and flow velocities for fish and invertebrates. A bund has also been constructed to divert flow from the mill leat into the natural channel and to narrow the river channel. These works will improve a 270m length of the River Misbourne. The bund has established vegetation which has softened the hard engineering. Already the main channel downstream of the bund has benefitted from the works, with vegetation flourishing and meanders starting to form. This project was completed in December 2018 as part of Affinity Water's river restoration programme. 

Project lead: Affinity Water

Project partners: Environment Agency

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Project start: Nov 2018

Project end: Dec 2018

Funding source: Affinity Water