Working with the Norfolk Rivers Trust and cbec, Salix has just completed a project that will help improve wildlife habitats on a section of the chalk River Nar at Pentney, near Kings Lynn in west Norfolk.
According to Salix, the whole river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and in recent years, the management of the River Nar has been subject to extensive investigation and consultation.
For the project, the company has re-graded the river’s channel in a 440-meter section using gravel, excavated several pools, re-profiled the banks and introduced large wood features to create more variance in the river’s profile, improving the hydraulic variability and consequently the range of habitat.
Emily Long, of the Norfolk Rivers Trust , said: “ Chalk-streams are globally rare river systems and the River Nar is arguably Norfolk’s most unspoilt and beautiful chalk river.”
She added that the works are part of a plan designed to help preserve and enhance the River Nar rich and diverse ecology, achieving what is termed “ Good Ecological Status or Potential ” under the European Water Framework Directive.