A PROGRAMME to restore and improve rivers in the Lake District has beaten competition from across Europe.
Efforts by the Environment Agency, Natural England and partners across Cumbria to reinstate natural river processes saw the programme win the European Riverprize.
The Cumbrian River Restoration partnerships programme has improved almost 100km of river length and restored over 150 hectares of floodplain across the catchments of the Rivers Eden, Derwent and Kent.
It has also reduced flood risk, removed plastic from rivers and boosted biodiversity in the region.
Partners on the project include National Trust, RSPB, Ullswater CIC, United Utilities, Eden Rivers Trust, West Cumbria Rivers Trust and South Cumbria Rivers Trust.
Olly Southgate, Cumbria river restoration programme manager at the Environment Agency, said: “River restoration work can provide a wide range of benefits, creating better natural habitats for wildlife and reducing flood risk through innovative nature-based solutions."
The European Riverprize celebrates excellence in the management, conservation and development of Europe’s rivers, wetlands and surrounding communities.
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