This is how we can restore the River Foss to its natural state

An exploration of the twists and turns of York’s charming alleyways may have led you to stumble upon the deep and canal-like River Foss.

The Foss has witnessed centuries of changes, from the Vikings to the building of the Foss barrier, the first boat made of sheet iron, to becoming a canal in 1792.

Agricultural expansion in the 20th and 21st centuries meant water needed to flow quicker, leading to the river being deepened and straightened, whilst traditional flood management included embankments and dredging of the riverbed.

The River Foss of current days is a far cry from its murky past.

York in the winter is infamous for its flooding and high water levels, partially due to the accumulation of sediment.

Rainfall in the River Foss catchment upstream runs over the land and collects soil and other sediment, which clogs road gullies and builds up in watercourses, leaving less space for water to flow.

This can lead to an increased risk of flooding downstream.

Sediment accumulation is also bad news for aquatic habitats and wildlife, as finer silts can fill up the spaces between gravels in riverbeds, preventing fish from spawning and their eggs from surviving.

Pollution also poses a high risk to aquatic life.

Some nutrients and chemicals ‘stick’ to soil particles, allowing pollutants to be transported into watercourses by sediment from surrounding land.

This often happens during rainfall events when soil is washed off slopes and into rivers and is a particular issue towards the north of the Foss catchment.

In the south of the catchment where land use is more urban, pollution mainly comes from sewage discharge directly into the river.

However, not all is lost!

We can still help to return the River Foss to its original self - flowing freely through rural lands, winding amongst farm fields, and a flowing highway for tadpoles and fish by tackling the issues with sediment and pollution at the source.

The section of the Foss that flows through Oulston in Hambleton is a wonderful example of what the whole river could become with time and care.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, partnering with North Yorkshire Council and the Environment Agency, has started the Foss Catchment Project to reverse some of the river’s decline.

The project aims to improve water quality by reducing the amount of sediment and pollution entering the watercourse, mitigating flood risk using natural flood management techniques throughout the Foss catchment, and improving the habitat for wildlife on the river.

We want this work to be a joint effort.

Land managers, landowners, farmers and the Internal Drainage Board have an extremely important role in managing and preserving water and land for current and future generations.

So we want to work collaboratively to find mutually beneficial solutions for people’s livelihoods, improving water quality and natural flood management.

We believe local communities hold a key to understanding local environmental conditions, which alongside environmentally friendly management practices can help us protect, conserve, and restore wildlife in the River Foss Catchment.

The catchment-based approach holds people at the heart of the restoration and conservation of river habitats.

We want to work together to make the nature around us wilder. To follow the journey of the River Foss revival and find out more how you can get involved visit: https://www.ywt.org.uk/foss-catchment-project

Monika Smieja is the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's River Restoration Project Officer