Project Overview: Restoring the Illey Brook
Severn Rivers Trust is undertaking an ambitious project to restore the headwaters of Illey Brook, a vital tributary near Halesowen in the West Midlands. Funded by DEFRA and the Environment Agency, this project is already underway, focusing on enhancing the natural environment, improving the brook’s resilience to weather events, and supporting the needs of local farmers and landowners.
Nature-Based Solutions
With the generous support of our funders, we are implementing a range of Natural Flood Management (NFM) techniques to slow and store surface water runoff, reduce soil erosion, and mitigate flooding downstream. Key measures include:
- Improved Soil and Land Management: Engaging farmers to implement sustainable soil husbandry across at least 40 hectares.
- Surface Runoff Interception: Establishing 4 hectares of attenuation features to capture and store excess water.
- Riparian Woodland Creation: Increasing or strengthening woodland corridors by at least 1 hectare to enhance habitat connectivity and biodiversity.
- In-Channel Features: Installing 2 kilometres of active and passive high-flow barriers, including Large Woody Material structures, to slow water flow and create in-stream habitats.
Supporting Wildlife and Water Quality
This project not only addresses water management but also enhances biodiversity by creating new wetland complexes, woodlands, and hedgerows. Local communities are already contributing through citizen science initiatives to monitor water quality, fostering a shared sense of stewardship for the brook.
As part of our biodiversity efforts, we aim to identify and facilitate an ark site for the endangered White-Clawed Crayfish, ensuring the protection of this iconic species against invasive threats.
Success Measures
The success of this project will be determined by the following outcomes:
- Achieving all project delivery targets.
- Reducing the catchment’s reactiveness to extreme weather events.
- Strengthening partnerships with landowners and farmers in the catchment.
- Enhancing habitats to provide long-term benefits for wildlife and the local community.
With funding from DEFRA and the Environment Agency, and through close collaboration with farmers, landowners, and residents, this ongoing work is creating a more resilient and thriving future for Illey Brook and its surrounding landscape.
