River restoration in the UK: Meeting the dual needs of the European union water framework directive and flood defence?

Abstract

A major component of river restoration is the recreation of instream physical habitat heterogeneity and re‐establishment of the linkage between the in‐channel and adjacent floodplain environment. Re‐engineering channels to reinstate a more natural form and the restoration of water and sediment transfer can bring multiple benefits particularly if undertaken as part of an environmental strategy for the whole catchment. The benefits usually include improvements to the ecological quality of rivers and reductions in the severity of flooding downstream. These benefits are achievable because rivers in their natural state are ecosystems that maintain high bio‐diversity, floodplains when inundated attenuate flows, and flooding of low‐lying areas creates wetlands and washlands of high nature conservation value and flood storage potential. This paper will explore (i) how the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) (EC, 2000) will become an increasingly important driver for catchment‐based river restoration in the UK, and (ii) how river restoration has the potential to deliver ecological improvements in rivers consistent with WFD targets whilst, at the same time, providing more sustainable flood management.