River Ash Restoration Project

We're proud to have supported the River Ash restoration project alongside our valued customer Practicality Brown Habitats.  

The River Ash is a chalk stream that runs out of Hertfordshire into London and joins the Thames. Over many years, it has been used for farming, dredging, and gravel extraction, and sewage has been dumped into it. Essentially, it has been ruined. 

Our customer, Practicality Brown Habitats, worked closely with the landowner and Herts and Middlesex Trust to restore three of the last remaining sections. Lynch provided a Hydrema, an 11T Tracked Dumper, and a 13T Excavator and with skilled plant operators, to help with a series of interventions, including:  

• Digging a new channel to reconnect the River Ash with its Paleo course 

Restoring gravel and creating a gradient, allowing better flow rate, and supporting brown trout spawn 

Putting woody debris into the river to stop erosion 

Creating a series of 5 wetland ponds, promoting habitat creation and natural flood defences 

This work is essential in protecting rivers and enhancing habitats. It's great to see the positive difference collaboration can make, and how we're helping our customers to protect British wildlife for generations.