The Three River Restoration project, led by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, targeted the ecological restoration and flood resilience of three degraded river watercourses. The scheme aimed to reduce local flood risk, improve habitat quality, and enhance biodiversity across several kilometres of river reach. With the design led by 5Rivers, the broader goal of the project was to develop a nature-based, community-beneficial approach to river restoration in areas previously affected by mining and agricultural pressures.
Key features include:
- A joint effort: The project is a partnership between Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Severn Trent Water
- A focus on three rivers: Rainworth Water, Vicar Water and the Bevercotes Beck
- Importance of biodiversity: Enhancing watercourses and their associated infrastructure and supporting and improving the area’s biodiversity
Our role
BWB Consulting was engaged to support the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and their design team, 5Rivers, by providing the flood risk and hydraulic expertise necessary to unlock the full potential of the restoration scheme. While 5Rivers led the initial design, the client identified a capability gap around demonstrating and validating the flood risk and hydrological implications of the proposed interventions.
Hydraulic modelling specialists
Our team initially carried out Flood Risk Assessments, and later delivered more comprehensive hydraulic modelling of the three watercourses and their surrounding environments. Our modelling work helped validate and, in some cases, improve the designs proposed initially. Through ongoing collaboration with the design team and client, we were able to influence key technical decisions that shaped a more robust and resilient scheme.
Stakeholder engagement
One of the key stakeholders already had a separate scheme entering planning, which relied on existing colliery ponds for surface water drainage. These stakeholders were hesitant to adjust their flood mechanisms or accommodate upstream changes. Resolving this required extensive technical dialogue and additional site-specific modelling and surveys to demonstrate that the restoration scheme would not adversely impact their system.
Future-proofing habitat
The design also included considerations for future ecological planning, including the potential reintroduction of beavers. Areas were engineered with features supporting natural damming and water retention behaviours, effectively “future-proofing” the riverscape.