New film celebrates restoration work on the River Till and its tributaries

The river, whose tributaries include the Breamish, Bowmont-Glen and Wooler Water, is of high conservation and ecological importance.

The new 10-minute film was produced by Tweed Forum, the Environment Agency and Natural England.

It explains how the historic management of the river catchment since the 1700s, which included river channel straightening and the introduction of weirs, has led to significant degradation meaning it had been classed as being in an ‘unfavourable condition’.

In response to this, the River Till Restoration Plan was created by the three organisations in 2013 and is using nature-based solutions to restore the natural function and processes of the river system.

Working alongside landowners, farmers and local communities and building on previous local restoration efforts, the project has included the removal of man-made structures such as weirs on the Lilburn burn and on the River Glen at Kirknewton, which inhibited fish passage and natural river function.

A carefully-planned flood plain reconnection and flood bank removal scheme on part of the River Glen is helping to manage flood risk downstream and allow powerful flood waters to dissipate over a wider area.

Riverbank trees are also being planted to reduce erosion, improve water quality and provide vital habitat for wildlife.

Tweed Forum senior project officer, Joe Taylforth, said: “Our work on the Till and its tributaries aims to increase the river system’s resilience to the more extreme weather events that are expected as a result of climate change. This new film is a great way to learn about this ongoing work.”

Karen Purvis, Natural England, added: “Restoring rivers back to their natural state is vital for helping nature thrive. When we change rivers too much, it can have a negative impact on the habitats and wildlife that the river supports.”

Alastair Laverty, geomorphology specialist for the Environment Agency in the North East said: “It’s fantastic to see what has been achieved over the past 10 years.

"As has been captured in the video, the partnership working and willingness of landowners to join us on this journey of restoring the River Till and its tributaries to a more natural state has been key to its success.”

10 Years of Restoring the Till can be viewed at www.tweedforum.org/news/