Erosion, Sediment, and Wetland

During high flow events the River is severely eroding its banks in some areas, taking chunks of soil with it.  At Dunn’s Houses, Otterburn, Revitalising Redesdale slowed the rate of change by cutting a high flow channel into an old meander on the opposite side, in order to take the pressure off the eroding bank.  This has helped the River to reconnect with its floodplain and has created a small area of wetland habitat. 

The contractors, Haywood Contracting, cut the eroding bank to form a shallower angle of slope, set the new fencing further back into the field, and secured seeded coir matting to help hold the soil in place.  These changes will now allow the river to move across the floodplain and keep grazing animals off the bank edges. Revitalising Redesdale partner, Tyne Rivers Trust, has been working with volunteers to plant riverside trees in this area, to stabilise the banks and create dappled shade over the river. They will be leading more volunteer tree planting tasks next year.