OVER 3,000 hectares of trees are set to be planted along England’s rivers and watercourses, and experts expect them to bring great benefits to our fish.
Woodland for Water is part of the Government’s commitment to strengthen flood protection, with catchment areas from Devon to Cumbria earmarked for the scheme by 2025.
But fish will also profit, as Theo Pike of the Wild Trout Trust, an expert in river restoration, revealed.
“In a world that’s warming, trees provide shade, which can cool rivers by 90C – massively beneficial to species that favour colder water,” he said.
“Leaf litter provides invertebrates like shrimp with food. These can then thrive, which provides fish with extra nutrients.
“Wood that falls in the river provides structural diversity, which can scour gravels and silt, creating fish habitats.”