River Wiske Corridor
Where is the River Wiske?
The River becomes the Wiske at the confluence of Carr Beck and Stony Lane Beck. It meanders through many villages, the town of Northallerton and intensive farmland until it reaches the River Swale. The name Wiske is derived from an old English word wisca meaning water meadow.
Our key aims
This project aims to prevent water pollution in the forms of sedimentation and agri-chemicals, provide habitats for wildlife and help to alleviate flooding. We are putting in infrastructure which will benefit both landowners and the riparian habitat (the interface between land and a river or stream).
What are the issues?
The River Wiske is one of North Yorkshire’s most heavily modified rivers.
- Large sections of the river have been modified over the years to make way for infrastructure such as railways or to improve agricultural activities, these changes have left long straight channels allowing water to flow quickly resulting in flash flooding further downstream.
- Land management has caused sediment and its associated nutrients and chemicals to enter the river, smothering the riverbed and leaving few areas for fish to spawn. This is exacerbated by livestock accessing the river and intensified by unstable riverbanks and erosion.
How you can help
If you own land within the Wiske and Swale area and would like to know more about future projects and potential funding for work on your land please contact Claire Burton on claire.burton@ywt.org.uk or join our Facebook group here.
Our work
We are continuing to work with landowners to improve riparian habitats, both on the Wiske and on the tributaries that feed into the Wiske.
Surverying the watercourse
Volunteers are playing a big part in the project and after training have surveyed almost the whole of the watercourse looking for field drains, choked areas of water, sediment run off and generally commenting on the general habitat within and around the river. From these surveys we can glean information to plan our future works.
Stabilising the river bank
We are installing fencing and creating cattle crossings to reduce cattle poaching (when cows trample down land and degrade the soil). We are also stabilising and re-profiling the river bank to prevent collapse and erosion. In previous projects we've also installed owl and bat boxes.
Reducing flooding
A large part of the funding is going towards opening up a culvert (a tunnel through which a stream flows) that regularly floods farmland. When rainfall is high, the pipe is too narrow to take the full flow of the water. The water is then forced around the pipe and out onto the land and into buildings.
Our work will 'day-light' the culvert, which means taking the roof off the tunnel. Once it is complete, water will continue to flow freely through it, but when there is excess water, it will be contained in a wildlife-friendly storage area. This is an exciting part of the project that will have a positive impact for the landowners, wildlife & the local area.
Tree planting
Thanks to the help from volunteers, tree planting along the river banks is an ongoing project. We have planted 1000 native trees along the banks of the upper Wiske near Appleton Wiske.
This is part of our wider work to reduce pollution to the watercourse and improve water quality. The tree roots help to bind the sediment and stabilise the bank as they grow. They will intercept runoff and provide habitat and shelter for an array of wetland species.
More information on our work and this project is available here.
Funders
YWT would like to continue work on the Wiske and are currently looking to secure further funding, please don’t hesitate to come forward if you think you may be eligible for work to be carried out.
Previous project funders
- Water Environment Grant (WEG), Environment Agency and Natural England – 2018 -2021
- Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water 2017-2018