Case study:Rewilding the Rom
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Project overview
| Status | In progress |
|---|---|
| Project web site | http://www.thames21.org.uk/improving-rivers/rewilding-the-rom/ |
| Themes | Flood risk management, Habitat and biodiversity, Monitoring, Social benefits, Water quality, Urban |
| Country | England |
| Main contact forename | Carolina |
| Main contact surname | Pinto |
| Main contact user ID | User:TylerThames21 |
| Contact organisation | Thames 21 |
| Contact organisation web site | http://www.thames21.org.uk |
| Partner organisations | London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Environment Agency, Essex and Suffolk Water (Northumbrian Water), Kusuma Trust, Land of the Fanns, Thames Chase, Mayor of London |
| Parent multi-site project | |
| This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
No |
Project summary
The River Rom is a tributary of the River Thames and forms the boundary between the east London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Havering.
Like many of London’s rivers, the Rom has suffered in recent years. Water quality has been impacted by sewage misconnections and overflows, whilst habitats for wildlife have been damaged by dredging and straightening of the river channel.
The downstream reach of the River Rom (also known as the River Beam) flows through the eastern section of The Chase Local Nature Reserve (LNR). The Chase LNR incorporates nearly 50 hectares of meadows, ponds, marshes and woodlands and has been designated as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.
In 2021, funding from the Land of the Fanns Partnership Scheme allowed two seasonal wetlands (known as scrapes) to be dug on the Havering Side of the River Rom. These scrapes trap water on the floodplain during times of heavy rain and act as important habitats for wetland plants, birds, and other animals.
In 2022, thanks to funding from the Kusuma Trust, the Mayor of London’s Rewild London Fund, and Essex and Suffolk Water, Thames21 will be working in partnership with The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to further reconnect the River Rom with its floodplain, this time on the opposite bank. To do this, we breached a large flood embankment in three places and dug out three interconnected wetlands. In high flows, the river floods into this newly connected area of floodplain, creating an area of seasonal wetlands, rich in wildlife including frogs, newts, dragonflies and water birds.
Monitoring surveys and results
Lessons learnt
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Catchment and subcatchment
Site
Project background
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Reasons for river restoration
Measures
MonitoringHydromorphological quality elements
Biological quality elements
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Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic
Monitoring documents
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Additional links and references
Supplementary InformationEdit Supplementary Information
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