The two-year project has reconnected the river with its natural floodplain, is restoring rare and degraded wetland habitats, and strengthened the valley’s resilience to flooding and climate change.
Wetlands are a priority habitat for nature, but over 90% of the UK’s wetlands have been lost in the last century. Floodplains are the natural ‘sponges’ of rivers – low-lying areas that absorb and hold water during wet periods, helping to slow its flow and reduce flooding downstream. They provide vital habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and vegetation including amphibians, invertebrates, wading birds, and wetland flora.
The Eastern Yar floodplain is home to wet grasslands, fen, and wet woodland which support a rich diversity of wildlife including the rare water vole. The land stretching from Newchurch to Sandown (including Newchurch Moors, Alverstone Mead, Sandown Meadows and Morton Marsh Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves) was originally natural floodplain but had been disconnected from the river due to a history of modification and decades of dredging. During heavy rainfall, water was forced to rush downstream within the channel, increasing the risk of flash flooding at pinch points such as culverts and road bridges.
The Trust’s restoration work has re-profiled sections of riverbank, creating swales and grips, allowing water to spread and settle across the valley once more. Whilst work across Morton Marsh and Lower Knighton Nature Reserves included the management of dangerous trees, creation of standing dead wood, removal of declining willow and encroaching scrub, re-profiling sections of the river channel and surrounding land and also updating water-level infrastructure.
A major achievement of the project is the increase in natural flood storage. By removing historic raised riverbanks and installing small protective bunds (low earth embankments designed to help hold back or direct water) the floodplain can now hold an estimated 155 million litres of water - the equivalent of 62 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Jamie Marsh, Director of Land Management at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “When you walk the floodplain now, you can feel water moving where it hasn’t been able to for decades.
“Restoring the river’s natural function, which will reduce the intensity of downstream flooding, has taken a huge amount of care, planning and teamwork. I’m deeply proud of the result and that we are creating a thriving wetland habitat, whilst building a more climate-resilient Eastern Yar valley.
“What excites me most is that this is only the beginning. The valley will continue to change, settle and flourish over the coming months and years, and I can’t wait to watch wildlife return to a landscape that is fully functioning just as it should.”
There are already early signs of recovery. Water now spreads naturally across previously disconnected areas during rainfall, wetlands are re-wetting, and fen plants are beginning to recolonise areas that had been shaded out or dried. These changes are improving conditions for species that depend on seasonally inundated ground, creating a more resilient and biodiverse wetland landscape.
The restored wetland areas will benefit a wide range of wildlife across the valley, including snipe, lapwing, teal, little egret, and kingfisher, as well as dragonflies, damselflies, amphibians, and pollinating insects. Fen plants such as marsh cinquefoil, yellow flag iris, hemp agrimony, and fen bedstraw are also expected to recolonise areas previously shaded out or dried by past river modifications.
The project has been developed in partnership with Wessex Rivers Trust, the Isle of Wight Council and the Environment Agency and has been funded through Natural England’s Countryside Stewardship Capital scheme demonstrating what can be achieved when partners work together to restore landscapes for both wildlife and people.
