A greener Hamble: seeing the benefits of river restoration in a summer of drought
A couple of years ago, through the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, we restored sections of the River Hamble, reconnecting the river with its surrounding wetland and floodplain and helping to increase the amount of water held in the landscape.
This drone footage, taken last week, shows a remarkably green corridor running through an otherwise yellow and dry landscape. Although the river itself is now dry at the surface, there is still moisture close enough to the surface in places to support green vegetation.
What is happening?
Chalk streams are fed by groundwater stored in the chalk aquifer underground. Rainfall filters through the soils of the Chilterns and into the chalk, where it can travel slowly through cracks and fissures before reappearing in the valleys.
Water reaching a chalk stream today may have fallen as rain months or even decades ago. Unlike surface watercourses, which can rise and fall rapidly in response to rainfall, groundwater can provide a more sustained source of water – helping chalk streams and the landscapes around them remain greener and more resilient to drought for longer during dry periods.
Our restoration work on the Hamble has helped reconnect the river with its surrounding wetland and floodplain, restoring the natural processes and increasing the amount of water that can be held in the landscape.
The green patches and pathways visible away from the current river channel show where there is still enough moisture close to the surface for plants to thrive, revealing the hidden pathways that water takes through the landscape.
The drone footage gives a fascinating glimpse of the hidden movement of water through the Chilterns landscape, and a reminder of why protecting and restoring chalk streams, wetlands and wider landscapes is so important as we face a changing climate and more frequent periods of drought.
The Hamble is just one example of the remarkable relationship between chalk, groundwater, rivers and the landscapes they sustain.
This story follows a recent article in The Guardian, which explored how restored wetlands and rivers can help landscapes remain resilient during drought.
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