Blythe Alive
River Blythe SSSI Restoration Project
Through the Blythe Alive projects we are working to restore nature to the River Blythe in Warwickshire.
The River Blythe is a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), extending 45km through the heart of Warwickshire. By restoring natural processes to the river channel and its surrounding landscape, we are helping to create a more resilient ecosystem which will support increased biodiversity, help reduce flooding risk and improve water quality in the River Blythe.
The River Blythe was regarded as ‘gentle and merry’ by the Anglo-Saxon settlers who named it more than 1000 years ago. A special and rare habitat, the River Blythe Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) runs from near Earlswood Lakes, Solihull, to its confluence with the River Tame near Coleshill.
The Blythe has been recognised for its diverse landscape and for the variety of wildlife it supports. Despite this it remains, like many rivers in Britain, in an unfavourable condition.
Considerable changes have been made throughout the River Blythe’s history, including obstructions, straightening of the channel and the influx of invasive non-native species. The landscape has been
scarred repeatedly over the years by pollution from industry. Records show that the last salmon catch in the area was as long ago as the 1870s.
What was once considered good water and industry management is now understood to have had negative impacts on our homes and wildlife habitats in the form of flooding, loss of soil, and barriers to fish movement. This historic natural landscape would be unrecognisable now to those who gave the Blythe its name.
But all is not lost - through the Blythe Alive and Blythe Alive Again projects we are working on the River Blythe to support its return to a river full of wildlife and one of the key corridors for nature in our region.
Restoring the natural processes of the landscape will result in better quality greenspaces for wildlife and people.
2018 - 2022: Blythe Alive
Through funding from Defra's Water Environment Grant, Tame Valley Wetlands have delivered ‘Blythe Alive’, a series of works to improve the environmental status of the River Blythe.
Past modifications have damaged the river, with weirs, obstructions, non-native invasive species, sedimentation and pollution affecting the habitat.
Our work has restored connectivity and improved water quality within 5.5km the river by removing barriers and creating new wetland habitat.
We’ve tackled invasive plant species through 17ha of land, which are currently competing with native plants, and reduced the sedimentation and pollution. Tree planting and wildflower seeding has created important habitats for birds and small mammals along the river.
‘Blythe Alive’ also helped to raise awareness with educational events and training sessions for farmers, community groups, schools and local people.
2022 - present: Blythe Alive Again
Thanks to funding from the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water, Blythe Alive Again is supporting restoration of nature over 140 hectares along the River Blythe.
Woodlands, hedgerows, wildflower meadows, river banks, ponds, entire habitats and wildlife corridors are being restored at a landscape scale. By creating more varied wetland habitats, reducing pollution, reinstating the natural shape and flow of the river, managing invasive species and enhancing biodiversity, the project will help restore the natural processes of the landscape.
Amphibians, mammals, fish, invertebrates and key pollinators will all benefit from improvements to these watery environments.
Achieving these ambitious goals across a large area necessitates collaboration with many different people.
A partnership of local landowners and stakeholders, the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, Natural England and local authorities, along with leadership from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, is making sure that the right actions are taken in the right places.
Through the Blythe Alive Again project we are working to support the whole river ecosystem while also recognising the important role agriculture plays in our economy and food security.
The positive impacts of river restoration on the Blythe are being seen already, with native wading birds and small mammals using newly created habitats, and the river flowing more naturally where interventions have taken place.
And this is only the start. The ultimate ambition for the Blythe is to continue to restore the river and eventually redefine Warwickshire’s landscape. The progress made so far is a hopeful sign of what can be achieved when communities, conservationists, and supporters work together to heal and restore our natural waterways. As the Blythe slowly returns to a more natural state through continued restoration, we can ensure that future generations of people and wildlife will benefit from this vital watercourse.