Restored river bends in Cumbria spark rapid salmon return and flood relief

A two-century-old straightening of Swindale Beck was undone in 2016 when a £212,500 restoration, jointly managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and United Utilities with the Environment Agency and Natural England, re-created a 1.1-kilometre winding channel. Diggers used historic maps to carve new bends, filling the old artificial ditch and planting native meadow species. Heavy rain soon after helped form suitable gravel beds, and Atlantic salmon from the Solway Firth began spawning there within weeks, with trout, otters and aquatic insects quickly colonising.

The slower, more sinuous flow reduced downstream peak storm discharge by more than 20 % and lowered suspended sediment entering Haweswater Reservoir, benefiting water supplies for over two million people. The project also lowered flood risk for communities downstream, especially after the damage from Storm Desmond in 2015. Recognised with the 2022 UK River Prize, the site now serves as a benchmark for reversing historic river engineering to restore ecosystems and protect people.