Client: Tyne Rivers Trust
Funding: Natural England Species Recovery Programme
Specialism: River Restoration | Wetland Creation | Floodplain Reconnection

Project Overview

TM Lindsay Ltd delivered a major river and floodplain restoration project at Cragg Estate on the River Rede in Northumberland.

The project formed part of work funded through Natural England's Species Recovery Programme and was designed to improve water quality, habitat diversity and natural river processes to support some of the catchment's most important species.

These include the critically endangered Freshwater Pearl Mussel, alongside White-clawed Crayfish, Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout.

Restoring Floodplain Connectivity

A key element of the project involved reconnecting the River Rede with historic palaeochannels within its floodplain.

Our team excavated two carefully positioned chutes which allow river water to reconnect with these former channels during higher-flow events.

This helps reinstate more natural floodplain processes, providing opportunities for sediment deposition, increased habitat diversity and improved connectivity between the river and its surrounding landscape.

Our Delivery
Alongside the floodplain reconnection works, redundant artificial drainage ditches were infilled to help restore more natural hydrology, while new ponds were created to increase habitat diversity and water storage.

Approximately 3,500 m³ of material was excavated, moved and carefully reprofiled across the site.

All excavated material was retained and reused within the project area, eliminating the requirement to import or export soil and significantly reducing unnecessary vehicle movements.

Key Works

• Two floodplain reconnection chutes
• Reconnection of the River Rede with historic palaeochannels
• Infilling of redundant drainage ditches
• New pond and wetland habitat creation
• Approximately 3,500 m³ of earthworks
• 100% reuse of site-won material
• Sediment and erosion controls
• Sensitive working adjacent to the River Rede

Project Outcome
The completed scheme has created a more naturally functioning river and floodplain system while increasing wetland habitat and supporting wider species-recovery objectives.

The project demonstrates how carefully delivered environmental earthworks can restore natural processes while maximising the environmental value of materials already present on site.