Natural Environment

Norfolk’s Two Chalk Rivers

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rare chalk rivers protected

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jobs created

Project summary

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has supported two significant projects in the area of outstanding natural beauty: one for two of its rare chalk rivers, and one to help increase resilience on this soft coast.

Background

Norfolk’s Hun and Stiffkey are two of only 210 rare chalk rivers worldwide, valued globally, and important to local communities. The grant helped the river catchments which share challenges such as:

  • Climate change and sea-level rise
  • Man-made modifications destroying the natural course and flow
  • Pollution, phosphate and nitrate loading, damaging the ecology
  • Fragmented, disconnected habitats, empty of wildlife

Connected by landscape, sharing an aquifer, both also share the potential for significant landscape-scale restoration to create, enhance and sustain rare, vibrant ecosystems.

This project was a collaboration between the Norfolk Rivers Trust; proven experts in river and catchment restoration and the Norfolk Coast Partnership.

Comment

Jonah Tosney, Operations director of the Norfolk Rivers Trust, said: “Norfolk’s Hun and Stiffkey both share challenges with sea-level rise, man-made modifications removing natural flow, and pollution and fragmented habitats resulting in unfavourable conditions for wildlife. Our project will provide innovative solutions to combat these problems whilst also providing opportunities for the local communities.”

This project was completed in June 2023. To read more about this project, visit the Norfolk Rivers Trust website.

Start & finish date

November 2021 — June 2023

Management Plan strand

The Natural Environment

Partners involved

Norfolk Rivers Trust
Norfolk Coast Partnership

Funded by