Rare chalk stream created to boost wildlife in Norfolk

Wildlife is returning to one of the world’s rarest river types.

Wetlands created at Keswick Marsh in Norfolk are giving birds, amphibians, and plants a better chance to thrive on a threatened chalk stream.

The River Yare is one of only 210 chalk streams in the world, with 58 found in East Anglia. The Environment Agency, Norfolk Rivers Trust, and Water Resources East have worked together to reshape more than 7 hectares of riverbank and floodplain, reconnecting the river with surrounding land.

New ponds, shallow pools, and reshaped ditches now allow water to spread naturally across the floodplain in winter and hold water for longer during dry periods. This restores the natural water cycle, reduces flood-risk downstream, and creates the varied, mixed habitat that many wetland species depend on.

Amy Prendergast, catchment delivery manager at the Environment Agency in East Anglia, said:

It has been fantastic to work in partnership with Norfolk Rivers Trust to create new wetland features at Keswick Marsh, delivering vital habitat for wildlife on the outskirts of Norwich.

Our rivers are facing increasing pressures from pollution, low flows, and habitat loss. That is why we are investing through our Water Environment Improvement Fund to restore and enhance the water environment, supporting projects like this that will benefit both wildlife and local communities for years to come.

Donna Dean, restoration and catchment development manager at Norfolk Rivers Trust, said:

The site is already piquing the curiosity of a range of wildlife. Egrets, coots, shelducks, newts, dragonflies, foxes and even a little ringed plover have been recorded visiting the works – some of them entirely new records for the site.

It’s really rewarding to see wildlife returning so quickly, and we look forward to watching the site continue to establish.