Essex Rivers Hub

This rural stretch of the river loops through small strips of woodland bordered by predominantly arable areas to the north of Great Yeldham.

The area (land use)

The dominant land use for this stretch of river is woodland.

No livestock were recorded.

Channel characteristics

The river channel consists of mainly gravel, and riffles are present.

At the time of recording the flow of water was still and the channel was 1-2m / 2-5m wide and <0.5m in depth.

For most of this stretch the channel profile is steep.

Bankside trees were dominant, marginal plants and in-channel plants are frequent. Woody debris was noted to be frequent.

Engineering

The channel has not been straightened and man-made enhancements are absent along this stretch of river.

Field drains were recorded as present and barriers / culverts are absent.

Condition

Areas of trampling / poaching were absent and areas of erosion were absent at the time of the survey.

Wildlife

Otter signs were seen along this stretch, and a number of ancient woodland indicator plants were also noted among the bankside vegetation, including Dog's Mercury and Oxlip. Fish were seen in the channel and a number of bird species were also sighted, including Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

Additional Comments

This is a nice section of river, the main concern is the low level of flow along this stretch. A small area of neglected coppice woodland is also present along this section.