'Re-meandered' rivers can slow flows while widening wildlife habitat

A major river restoration project in Cumbria has shown that reconnecting rivers to their floodplains can slow the movement of water and improve habitats. Research led by Newcastle University and the National Trust found that restoring a straightened, engineered channel to a more natural form significantly delayed the movement of flood waters downstream. On average, flood waves took 25 minutes longer to travel through the 1.5 km long restored reach compared to pre-restoration conditions, with a maximum time of 90 minutes.