The UK government has announced a major initiative to plant thousands of acres of woodland along rivers to help manage flood risks, improve water quality, and boost wildlife. The project, funded by the government, aims to create nearly 8,000 acres of woods along rivers and waterways in six catchment areas from Cumbria to Devon by March 2025.
Officials say that encouraging trees to grow on and around river banks can block the run-off of pollutants into waterways and slow the flow of water to manage flood risks. Creating woodland corridors can also help wildlife and make rivers more resilient to climate change by providing shade and cooling water temperatures.
Farmers and landowners will be able to apply for 'Woodlands for Water' grants via the Forestry Commission. The project is being run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, backed by the National Trust, Woodland Trust, Rivers Trust, and Beaver Trust.
Forestry minister Lord Goldsmith said: 'This is a hugely exciting and untapped area for woodland creation. The benefits of planting trees by rivers are vast – from helping biodiversity recover by creating more natural riverbanks; to slowing the flow of surface water to reduce the risk of flooding; and improving water quality by buffering rivers from harmful agricultural pollution.'
Mark Lloyd, of the Rivers Trust, added: 'By planting the right trees in the right places, we can tackle multiple problems and provide multiple benefits – more nature, less flooding, more carbon locked up in trees and soils, fewer droughts, less pollution, more wild places for people to enjoy.'
Planting will take place on National Trust land and in six catchment areas across the country, including the Taw and Torridge in Devon and Somerset, the Tamar and Fowey in Devon and Cornwall, and the Eden and Derwent in Cumbria, among others. Areas eligible for the woodland grants must be at least a quarter of an acre in area and comply with a number of conditions.
