New habitat to bring wildlife back to River Hull

Officers have been cutting back trees around Tophill Low on the River Hull and making repairs to the flood embankment. The trees and vegetation needed clearing because in some areas it had become difficult for officers to inspect and do work to the embankment.

The team used excavators, specialist tree cutters and chainsaws to cut back the trees and vegetation. Some of the removed timber has been recycled and used in projects in other areas of the catchment to help stabilise river banks.

Nick Appleyard, in the Environment Agency’s operations delivery team said, “The trees encroached onto the embankment, and the river was washing around the trees, which was starting to cause some erosion to the bank, so it was crucial that we acted quickly before any more damage was done.”

The vegetation also prevented the embankment from drying out, so it was very soft in places which can lead to further damage. Fallen tree branches had washed downstream over time, so clearing these has helped increase the capacity of the river and maximise the amount of water the river can hold.

Now the trees have been cleared, work is being done to repair damaged sections of the bank. The material used to repair the embankment is being dug from the channel side, to create ‘fish fry’ areas. These ‘fry’ areas will provide new habitat for young and spawning fish and shallow water for a range of wading birds.

All of the work has been done in partnership with Yorkshire Water’s Tophill Low Nature Reserve, and the Environment Agency’s fisheries and biodiversity teams who have given expert advice to create the ‘fry’ areas. Officers are also working with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to create new habitat for otters on the river.