The Weston River Restoration project restores the magnificent Trent near Weston in Staffordshire, to its former glory. Reversing some of the historical drainage works across the landscape, and re-connecting the river back to its floodplain. Previously it looked rather canal-like, weaving its way across through the countryside. Now it has riffles, islands, ponds, and shallows; the variety creates nooks and crevices for wildlife, stores sediment and breaks down pollution. Our work near Weston restored fast-declining habitats such as wetlands and created conditions in which fish, birds and mammals can thrive.
Historical drainage and engineering work have had a devastating impact on biodiversity in the river. With nearby fields encroaching, and Stoke-on-Trent upstream of the catchment, a river stripped of natural coping mechanisms, is more vulnerable to pollution
Our work on a 2km stretch of the river undid some of the historical damage. With the help of some heavy machinery, including a 22-ton digger, we gave the river more breathing space and re-introduced natural features.
We re-profiled, introduced a gravel bed, created a backwater for fish, introduced woody debris and created two river islands for birds to settle.
Re-profiling the river banks change the river’s flow around the bend to encourage deposition and more habitat variation on the river bed.
Gravel was introduced to the channel to create riffles, increasing the oxygen levels and developing new habitats for invertebrates and fish spawning.
A backwater was excavated to create a refuge for fish away from the main channel as well as introducing woody debris to help slow the flow and create a wider range of habitats on the river bed.
This is particularly pertinent for this project, as funding came from an Enforcement Undertaking following a serious pollution incident.
© 2025 Trent Rivers Trust. Website designed and developed by Studio Seventeen Ltd.
