Riparian owners and officials with responsibility for river management will
be familiar with problems such as:
• Bank erosion and instability
• Low ecological, amenity or recreational value, including:
• Lack of bankside habitat
• Excessive weed growth
• Insufficient shade for fish
• Unsightly previous construction

Recently there has been an increase of interest in the value of our river corridors. This has not only generated pressure for improvements, but has made the choice of management techniques much more critical. If you have any of these problems to solve, Willowbank is keen to help you find solutions.

Bankside Erosion and Instability
Anyone who has taken even a passing interest in rivers knows what river bank erosion is, and that the primary cause is the movement of water relative to the bank. Less widely understood are the other factors which determine where and when erosion takes place, and at what rate.

These secondary factors include the type of material forming the banks, the slope of the banks, the susceptibility of the river to flood, the nature and extent of bankside vegetation, the presence or otherwise of any artificial protection systems, and whether or not the riverhas been disturbed in some other way – for instance by the construction of a bridge, an outfall, or even a protection system for another length of bank nearby. Although observers are usually keen to volunteer a 'cure' for any particular example of erosion, regrettably few stop to consider the possible alternative strategies available, including whether the erosion actually needs controlling at all, and whether their scheme might cause damage elsewhere.

Rivers are extraordinarily complex and sensitive systems. Almost any artificial disturbance will result in a whole range of responses, sometimes many miles away from the point where the change has been made. Each response has its own timescale. And as rivers are never in equilibrium anyway it is very difficult to evaluate the consequences of any changes made to them. Erosion also has benefits – it is usually an essential process for other important aspects of the river.

These are some of the reasons why it is so important to plan erosion control work carefully, to take professional advice and to discuss any proposals with other people whose interests may be affected.