£820k funding boost for river restoration and freshwater pearl mussel recovery in Cumbria
Chris West monitoring freshwater pearl mussels in the river Irt
West Cumbria Rivers Trust (WCRT) has secured £820k through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme to deliver major river restoration and freshwater pearl mussel recovery work across Cumbria.
While the project aims to conserve freshwater pearl mussels as one of the UK’s most endangered species, benefits will extend far beyond, improving river habitats for fish, invertebrates, birds and wider wildlife across the River Ehen, River Irt and surrounding catchments.
The programme combines targeted habitat restoration with species recovery work, bringing together WCRT, Eden Rivers Trust, South Cumbria Rivers Trust, the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA), farmers and landowners to deliver practical improvements for river health and biodiversity.
Planned work includes floodplain restoration, embankment lowering, riverbank improvements and measures to reduce sediment entering rivers. These actions will help create cleaner, cooler and more resilient rivers that are better able to support wildlife and adapt to climate pressures such as flooding and drought.
Freshwater pearl mussels are one of the UK’s most endangered species and are highly sensitive to pollution and habitat decline, making them an important indicator of river health. By restoring conditions needed for mussels to survive, the project will also improve habitat quality for Atlantic salmon, trout, and many other species that depend on healthy rivers.
The project also includes conservation breeding and rearing work led by the Freshwater Biological Association at its Windermere facilities. Freshwater pearl mussels have a remarkably complex lifecycle, spending part of their early development attached to the gills of host fish before dropping into river gravels. Around 9,000 juvenile mussels reared by FBA will be released into the River Irt and River Ehen to reinforce vulnerable populations and help prevent local extinction.
The funding package has been designed to maximise value for money by combining the Species Recovery Programme grant with wider environmental funding and partnership support wherever possible.
WCRT is aligning restoration works with schemes including the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship (CS), England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), Cumbria Community Forest and Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF). This blended approach allows larger and more ambitious restoration projects to go ahead while reducing costs for farmers and land managers.
The project will also strengthen understanding of freshwater pearl mussel populations through extensive survey and monitoring work. This includes analysing 176 environmental DNA (eDNA) samples across six Cumbrian rivers to identify potential remnant populations, alongside habitat surveys and population assessments.
Partnership working and knowledge sharing form a central part of the programme. Partners will work closely together to exchange expertise on freshwater pearl mussel conservation, habitat restoration and monitoring techniques. Training visits and ongoing collaboration will help extend learning beyond Cumbria and support recovery efforts in other river catchments.
The programme combines practical river restoration, species recovery and collaborative conservation action to deliver long-term benefits for Cumbria’s rivers and the wildlife that depends on them.
Chris West, Project Manager for West Cumbria Rivers Trust said: “This funding is a significant boost for river restoration work across Cumbria. While freshwater pearl mussels are at the heart of the programme, the benefits will be much wider, improving river habitat, water quality and resilience for a whole range of wildlife. It also strengthens long-term partnership working across catchments, which is essential if we are to restore and protect Freshwater Pearl Mussels.”
Louise Lavictoire, Head of Science for FBA said:
“The FBA are so excited to be working once again with WCRT and partners, building upon our solid foundations of evidence-based restoration. In our most ambitious target to date, we plan on reinforcing struggling mussel populations with over 9,000 juveniles, pulling populations back from the brink of extinction. We're proud to support this world-class restoration project.”
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:
“We know that good science and effective partnerships can help restore species to favourable status, and this funding will enable us to support many initiatives to help halt and reverse the decline of our wonderful wildlife."