A Hertfordshire farmer has helped give a precious chalk stream its natural ‘wiggle’ back, giving up more of his land to make space for 300 metres of new River Rib channel as part of an ambitious restoration project.

The project, delivered through a partnership between the Wild Trout Trust, the Environment Agency, Affinity Water and Dowsetts Farm, has transformed one kilometre of the River Rib that had been artificially straightened over 100 years ago by previous owners.

Completed in under seven weeks between May and July, the work has restored significant stretches of the riverbank, introducing natural features such as gravel riffles and bars; all important characteristics of a healthy chalk stream.

Around 300 metres of new meandering river channel has been created, leaving a more natural floodplain with wetland habitats such as shallow ponds and scrapes between the old and new channels. This gives the River Rib more room to move through the landscape while creating a greater variety of habitats for wildlife.

Natural features have also been introduced to help reduce sediment, improve water flow and create the conditions for native chalk stream plants to return and thrive. The clean gravel-rich riverbed will recreate the conditions characteristic of a healthy chalk stream and provide improved habitat for species such as brown trout to reproduce.

At the heart of the project is Dowsetts Farm landowner Jeffrey Pearman, who pursued the idea following advice from the Wild Trout Trust.

His willingness to give more of his 560-acre farm to make space for the new channel allowed the partnership to be far more ambitious than originally planned, creating a a new, meandering channel rather than simply restoring the River Rib within its existing footprint. The additonal space has allowed the river to follow a more natural course through the landscape. The restored section forms part of the wider River Rib catchment, upstream of its confluence with the River Lea at Hertford.

Around 1,845 tonnes of gravel was sourced from excavations created during the construction of the project and mixed with gravels sourced from a local quarry. The gravels were then used to raise parts of the riverbed, which has reversed historical dredging and so created new riffles, gravel bars and other natural features. Timber from the site has also been used to diversify the flows, creating more varied habitats for fish, plants, insects and other wildlife.

The restoration comes during a period of drought across the region, when the pressures facing England's globally rare chalk streams have been brought into sharp focus. Despite the exceptionally dry conditions, the restored stretch of the River Rib remains flowing, providing a striking backdrop to the work and the wider ambition to create healthier, more resilient rivers and landscapes.

“This project shows what can be achieved when landowners, environmental organisations and water companies bring their different expertise together around a shared ambition for our chalk streams.” said George Horne, Senior River Restoration Project Manager at Affinity Water. “Creating more space for the River Rib and restoring the features it would naturally have helps create a healthier environment for wildlife and forms part of the wider work needed to protect these precious habitats for the future.”

The project forms part of Affinity Water’s wider River Restoration programme, which has delivered over 40 projects across 14 rivers between 2015 and 2025 and a further 33 projects are planned to be delivered by 2030. Affinity Water’s River Restoration programme is part of its wider environmental commitments to protect chalk stream catchments, enhance biodiversity and improve water quality, helping to leave the environment in a measurably improved state.

The restoration project forms part of the Environment Agency's wider programme of river improvement projects, supported through the Chalk Partnership Fund and Water Environment Improvement Fund.