Original course of the Derwent

The Environment Agency has started work to restore an old river meander on the River Derwent at Elvington. The meander, known as the swallows, was part of the original course of the Derwent before it was straightened in the 1940s as part of a land drainage and flood defence scheme. The aim of the project is to restore part of the meander to create a permanent backwater which, will act as a refuge for fish such as roach and chub and will provide them with a spawning area. It will also provide a suitable habitat for other river wildlife including waterfowl and water voles in this important conservation area.

The meander loop, which is now overgrown and silted, is still connected to the main river. The backwater will be made by dredging out the entrance channel and removing a small amount of willows and scrub. The work should be finished in the autumn and the main river channel will remain unaffected. Shaun McGinty, Agency fisheries management officer said: "This is a very exciting project since much of the lower reaches of the river Derwent lack natural meander features. This scheme will help redress this and will create significant benefits for fish and other wildlife." "When the work is complete, we will carry out some 'seeding' of fish into the backwater in order to kick start the population and compliment stocks already present in the main river."