Henmore Brook catchment restoration

Project Type

Project Catchment

Date

2022-March 2025

Improving the resilience of Henmore Brook

We’re working on an important project to improve resilience in the Henmore Brook catchment. This means we are looking at ways to help the area cope better with the impact that Carsington Reservoir has on the watercourse near Ashbourne. Our aim is to tackle some of the issues the brook faces, due to the artificial flows it experiences. These particularly impact the watercourse during dry periods, when the water is held back in the reservoir.

Low flow conditions introduce issues to rivers’ ecology and habitats. Where there is no tree cover, for example, and river levels fall, the water temperature can increase and the oxygen levels decrease. This can be fatal to various aquatic species, especially fish, which are unable to source cover or cooler water. This is where increasing the catchment’s resilience will be vital.
The work will focus on restoring the area close to the reservoir to help retain water where it affects river processes and ecology the most. While the focus of the work lies on dry periods, the work’s wider impact will boost biodiversity, habitat availability and flood resilience for communities downstream.

This two-and-a-half-year project, led by Trent Rivers Trust in partnership with Severn Trent Water, will deliver works aimed at restoring the ecological resilience using a practical river and catchment restoration approach.