Bevercotes Beck - Three Rivers Restoration Project

Work at Bevercotes Beck near Walesby commenced in the first few months of 2025.

It is a very straight, slow moving and silt laden site. It very often floods out into the surrounding farmland at times of high flows (regularly in winter).

However, our design creates a new meander in the river and 2 new scrapes. 

The proposed works will create a new channel meander and floodplain features that will improve flow and habitat diversity that underpin a healthy ecosystem.

Reinstating a more natural morphological form and function can accelerate ecosystem recovery.  Helping to restore flow to the channel will help increase ecological resilience within the channel and installing the wetland features will help create a more diverse habitat for wildlife.

The new meander, approximately 150m long, was dug offline before being connected to the current channel.

Large logs were used as deflectors in the new channel to guide flow and stabilise the banks at the bends and the wetland scrapes were created before the channel was breached and the river then connected to the new channel.

The new channel dimensions were designed to mimic the current channel. The low flow channel was approximately 0.75 m wide and maximum depth was approximately 1 m deep. The banks of the new channel were graded out to the wetland scrapes which were approximately 0.5 m deep.

The old channel was left to operate as a backwater feature, adding additional habitat. Two new wetland scrapes were dug either side of the channel both had a maximum depth of 0.75m shallowing out to 400mm.

Fencing was used to surround the new channel and wetland areas to create a buffer to the river, protecting it from cattle poaching. All areas were seeded and then additional plug planting with approximately 500 plants planned for adding later in the season.

The works will restore flow to the channel and help with ecological resilience. The new wetland once established will benefit and range of wildlife. Birds such as lapwing and little egret, the wetland pools and backwaters will be valuable habitat for fish to spawn, dragonflies and damselflies such as four-spotted chaser and banded demoiselle will thrive. We are also hopeful water voles will make a return along Bevercotes Beck now these works have been completed.

Thanks to EMEC Ecology who carried out the work but we are also very grateful to the landowners at Walesby for supporting this scheme and allowing the works to be constructed.