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Works to begin on re-meandering the River Were

Improving habitat for water voles and restoring natural river function.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has announced the launch of an exciting new wetland project in Warminster to re-meander the River Were with a more natural shape and reconnect the river to its floodplain.

The re-meandering project will kick-start this month at Smallbrook Meadows, a wetland nature reserve in Warminster owned by Wiltshire Council and managed by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, which spans 50 acres between the rivers Were and Wylye.

The project is funded by National Highways’ Environment and Wellbeing Designated Fund as part of the Network for Nature programme, which aims to create, restore and connect habitats for wildlife which have been impacted by historic road building activity.

This project aims in part to reduce flood risk by increasing the length of the river channel and allowing more water to be stored in-channel and in the wet margins. As part of this project, the River Were will also be reconnected to its floodplain and new wetland scrapes (shallow ponds with sloping edges) will be created to improve habitat diversity for wildlife.

Smallbrook Meadows is home to a small population of the UK’s most endangered mammal, water voles. By creating a more natural river channel with a wider range of micro-habitats, more spaces will be created for the resident water voles, as well aquatic invertebrates and wild brown trout. Invertebrates such as dragonflies and damselflies will flourish in particular when the new scrapes become filled each season as water levels rise.

As well as restoring habitat for wildlife, we will also be restoring natural processes both in the river and the wider environment. The more natural shape and size of the river channel will kick-start natural river processes such as sedimentation in the margins and faster flows in the main channel to keep important gravel habitats clean.
Connor Stapleton-Goddard
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Water Team Projects Officer
We’re committed to significantly improving biodiversity near our road network, and this investment in the South West underlines our commitment to reducing the impact of our roads on the environment and supporting biodiversity.

At National Highways, our work goes beyond operating, maintaining and improving roads; we’re investing in the environment and communities surrounding our network, helping to unlock the creation and enhancement of habitats, and this is an example of the difference we can make with designated funding.

We were delighted to partner with The Wildlife Trusts to realise this project – a glowing example of how this funding can improve biodiversity near our roads.
Jason Hones
South West Regional Director for National Highways

Phase one of the re-meandering works is due to begin on the 24th July and will last for approximately two weeks. During this time, there may be minor disturbance on surrounding roads as machinery arrives and departs via the Warminster Lake Pleasure Grounds to the north of the reserve. There will be some noise disturbance whilst the works are carried out, but this will be limited to working hours (8am – 6pm) on weekdays.

The Smallbrook Meadows nature reserve and its car park will remain open as normal, as the wetland works will take place in a section that is not accessible to the public; however, some paths may be temporarily closed for public safety.

Over the summer, the new river channel will be left to vegetate, with phase two of the project starting in September, which will also last for approximately two weeks. During the summer period, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will advertise volunteering opportunities between the phases of work, which will involve replanting the new channel margins and transplanting vegetation to help create the new habitats for the water voles.

Keep an eye out for volunteering opportunities with the Trust’s Water Team at Smallbrook Meadows this summer.

Staff and volunteers in waders

Volunteer with the Water Team

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