Project leaders are now calling on volunteers to undertake conservation work along the river banks to help “nature return” to that stretch of the River Wandle. The South East Rivers Trust (SERT) has been carrying out works on the Mitcham stretch of the River Wandle for the past 10 weeks. The project, carried out by a group of partners including landowners Sutton Council, aims to improve the health of the rare chalk stream river and renaturalise the area for public use.
The project is focused on lowering the Goat Bridge Weir in Mitcham, which previously restricted about 500 metres of river, creating conditions more akin to a lake. This meant the flow of the river was obstructed, leading to stagnant pools of water where pollution thrives. Wandle expert Dr Jack Hogan believes this work is essential to protect the Wandle’s status as a biodiversity hotspot.
During a visit to the site last week, Hogan told the local democracy reporting service (LDRS) of some of the surprising things the project team had found whilst working in the river. Hogan told the LDRS: “We’ve found a lawnmower, a couple of fridges and even a motorbike in there. This stretch of the river was in a pretty poor state.
” The river’s course has been diverted around the weir throughout the 14-week project and is expected to return to its normal path through the newly lowered weir next week. While the lowering of the weir has taken place downstream, the team have taken to creating rocky berms along the s.