Cumbrian Rivers
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Cumbrian Rivers

The Rivers of Cumbria and the Lakes District National Park

Year

2022

Category

European River prize

In collaboration with the Styrian Government (Department 14 – Water Management, Resources and Sustainability), the Lake District National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site situated within the country of Cumbria. The rivers of the Lake District form an integral component of the outstanding universal value of the area, which has been shaped by upland farming and intensive dairy agriculture in the valley bottoms for many centuries. All the watercourses within Cumbria have at some point been modified or altered to create space for farming practices, reflected in the poor quality of many of these rivers. This mismanagement of the watercourses has exacerbated the effects of several severe flood events in recent years, with the area also suffering degradation of designated protected areas (SSSI and SAC) and a severe decline in biodiversity.

Winning the European River Prize in 2022, the Cumbria River Restoration Partnerships Programme has delivered over 100 projects of various scales in the Lake District. Statistics summarising 31 of the largest restoration projects indicate that almost 100 km of river length have been improved and almost 150 ha of associated floodplain restored. As the programme has evolved, targeted interventions to rejuvenate former systems dynamics have been implemented, with additional work to re-naturalise many of the tributaries discharging into the main rivers. All this practical work has been accompanied by engagement, training, and educational initiatives ranging from community events, volunteer days, internal and external training, conference and workshop presentations. 

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