Our work helps keep a clear flow path and a main channel with hope this will reduce the amount of duckweed covering the water's surface to let the river breath and increase the ability for recreational activity like kayaking canoeing fishing and swimming available to those users. 

A rivers ecosystem will have natural sections where the pace of water is faster and/or slower. you will typically find in deeper sections the flow is slower, whereas in shallow areas the rivers flow has a much faster pace. Different organisms that inhabit the rivers watercourse need different flow and depth states.  

  

Common reeds, bulrush, Norfolk reed, are common types of reeds within the water column and are a massive benefit to the river's watercourse. However, everything has their pros and cons. Here are a few Pros of reeds, create shelter and refuge for freshwater organisms and wildfowl, filters the water which helps with surface pollution from spreading and helps with deterring erosion of the riverbank. We desier to put D like shapes in the reed beds, this creates slack water for fish and help with slowing the flow of the watercourse helping with future flooding events and erosion of the banks. When we are pulling the vegetation out, we are required to leave reeds on the side of the bank. This helps let water drain back into the river but most importantly helps any water organisms stuck in the reeds to escape back into the river. This is only where we do not obstruct the public footpath. 

Here are a few cons, Vegetation can stop natural flow of the river leading to surface vegetation which blocks sunlight (duckweed), When reeds breakdown they turn into silt or mulch which can affect the water quality. If reeds aren't managed this can stop fish migrating throughout the season (to spawning beds or areas of slacker water). Save The Gipping have even found dead wildfowl and fish within the reed beds where they were too overgrown falling onto one and another.  

  

There is also a good population of water voles along the river gipping, allowing certain sections (upto 2m x 2m square where required) of reeds allow us to continue to work on the river but allow these amazing creatures to inhabit the watercourse. Water voles also like to have woody structure in the water to sunbathe on or to dig their burrows behind. These mammals are an indicator species, which shows good biodiversity and health within the river. unfortunately, these are under threat by predators, like the American mink. Keeping and maintaining habitat for these animals are vital for the river to flourish. 

  

We have found a healthy abundance of freshwater snails within the river, when SaveTheGipping first started working at Paper mill lane we found hundreds of snail shells. This year working on the same reed bed, we have found a bigger population of freshwater snails (not just shells). Freshwater snails feed and heal damaged vegetation and are a great food source for egrets, swans and fish so they are a very important part of the structure of the river.  

  

Vegetation management is an important process for the river, helping with reducing canalisation of rivers, will help with flooding, erosion and is an important part of our management. Using riverbeds to slow and speed the water up helps with biodiversity due to certain species enjoying shallow fast flowing water and other organisms enjoying slow and deeper water. 

 SaveTheGipping are here to not just create a straight path through the river but also a diverse range of different shape, sizes flow speeds and help create a better habitat for all.  

SaveTheGipping have not just focused on work between Sproughton and Sharmford lock. We have been as far as hawksmill or the needham market stretch, removing a large tree and reeds from the river. This section has now flourished into a very important biodiversity rich area. Comparing hawksmill with Papermill lane we didn't find many snail shells, or deceased wildfowl at hawksmill, however once we had completed our work, we found a shoal of juvenile chub swimming upstream from where we had created a passage through, we also found the bottom to be very hard gravel bed and shallow. 

Our work has already impacted the river positively and the river is truly obtaining the benefits from the important necessary channel work. 

When doing our essential maintenance work we look at how the flow will want to move to make sure necessary habitat and slack areas are abundant. our grassroots voluntary group isn't just for fish its for all inhabitants in and out of the river. That's why when we do tree reductions we make sure to leave wood in the reeds or on the banks in bug hotels to help and increase the biodiversity of the river. wood is an essential part of the ecosystem. if its floating in the river or on the bank there is always something that wants to sit or hide underneath it! 

 

We are currently working from bramford meadows to Sharm ford weir around 5km of river to increase in biodiversity, establish a natural flow and help recreational activities to flourish.