Salmons Brook Restore and Reconnect : The Upper Salmons Brook River Restoration Project
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About the Salmons Brook Restore and Reconnect project:
The Salmons Brook Restore and Reconnect project aims to improve 3km of river and floodplain habitat, by restoring ecological processes. This project provides significant opportunities to engage with local communities and those affected by flooding in the catchment, through our volunteering and citizen science programmes. This forms part of the wider Enfield Chase Landscape Recovery Project. The Salmons Brook Restore and Reconnect project is a partnership between environmental charity Thames21 and Enfield Council and funded by the Mayor of London, Environment Agency and Thames21's EMPOWER Rivers Programme.
About the River Restoration:
The Salmons Brook flows through Enfield Chase down into Edmonton.
In Enfield Chase, the river has been straightened and deepened over the years. Now, the Salmons Brook no longer supports the varied wildlife a natural river should, and is disconnected from its floodplain and the groundwater table. This means that the river can send flood water downstream very quickly, but can also dry out in the summer months.
This project aims to restore 3km of the river to a completely natural state, and bring back a rich river environment that has been lost. Re-connecting the river to the floodplain and other natural flood management measures will slow the rate of runoff and store water during storms – reducing the risk of flooding in urban areas downstream.
The river restoration is complimented and enhanced by the creation of woodland and ponds in the river valley. We hope to create a dynamic environment that can support beavers, water voles, brown trout and grayling amongst other important wildlife for people to enjoy.
The first phase of the river restoration project is underway, with the support from key partners such as Thames21, the Environment Agency, the Mayor of London, the Rivers Trust and Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust.
Enfield Council and Thames21 will work closely with local residents and community groups. This will help make sure the area becomes a shared space for nature, wellbeing and the local community.
The current timescales of the project are below. We will be updating this websiteas the project progresses.
February - April 2026
1st Phase - Enabling works, which includes baseline surveys, scrub management, tree thinning and removals
April - June 2026
1st Phase - Detailed designs and permitting works
July - Winter 2026
1st Phase - commencement of the river restoration works, including lowering of the floodplain, creation of woody log-jams and infilling the river so it can form its own natural channel
September 2026 - February 2027
1st Phase - Planting and vegetation establishment – after the construction workswe’ll be doing supplementary planting of reeds, rushes, and trees, and also seeing what plants naturally colonise
February 2027
2nd Phase - Commencement of second Phase of the river restoration (detailed timescales TBC)
2028 and beyond
Reintroductions of beavers and water vole. It is the intention that once the river has established its own natural channels, we’ll be monitoring the changes and hopefully reintroducing important species such as beavers to create a rich and dynamic habitat for people and wildlife
Citizen Science and River Activities
Thames21 will be working with residents of Enfield Chase, Edmonton and the wider area to support and monitor the success of the project and make sure the area becomes a shared space for nature and the local community. Check out the forum link to see how you can get involved in the project!
About the Salmons Brook Restore and Reconnect project:
The Salmons Brook Restore and Reconnect project aims to improve 3km of river and floodplain habitat, by restoring ecological processes. This project provides significant opportunities to engage with local communities and those affected by flooding in the catchment, through our volunteering and citizen science programmes. This forms part of the wider Enfield Chase Landscape Recovery Project. The Salmons Brook Restore and Reconnect project is a partnership between environmental charity Thames21 and Enfield Council and funded by the Mayor of London, Environment Agency and Thames21's EMPOWER Rivers Programme.
About the River Restoration:
The Salmons Brook flows through Enfield Chase down into Edmonton.
In Enfield Chase, the river has been straightened and deepened over the years. Now, the Salmons Brook no longer supports the varied wildlife a natural river should, and is disconnected from its floodplain and the groundwater table. This means that the river can send flood water downstream very quickly, but can also dry out in the summer months.
This project aims to restore 3km of the river to a completely natural state, and bring back a rich river environment that has been lost. Re-connecting the river to the floodplain and other natural flood management measures will slow the rate of runoff and store water during storms – reducing the risk of flooding in urban areas downstream.
The river restoration is complimented and enhanced by the creation of woodland and ponds in the river valley. We hope to create a dynamic environment that can support beavers, water voles, brown trout and grayling amongst other important wildlife for people to enjoy.
The first phase of the river restoration project is underway, with the support from key partners such as Thames21, the Environment Agency, the Mayor of London, the Rivers Trust and Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust.
Enfield Council and Thames21 will work closely with local residents and community groups. This will help make sure the area becomes a shared space for nature, wellbeing and the local community.
The current timescales of the project are below. We will be updating this websiteas the project progresses.
February - April 2026
1st Phase - Enabling works, which includes baseline surveys, scrub management, tree thinning and removals
April - June 2026
1st Phase - Detailed designs and permitting works
July - Winter 2026
1st Phase - commencement of the river restoration works, including lowering of the floodplain, creation of woody log-jams and infilling the river so it can form its own natural channel
September 2026 - February 2027
1st Phase - Planting and vegetation establishment – after the construction workswe’ll be doing supplementary planting of reeds, rushes, and trees, and also seeing what plants naturally colonise
February 2027
2nd Phase - Commencement of second Phase of the river restoration (detailed timescales TBC)
2028 and beyond
Reintroductions of beavers and water vole. It is the intention that once the river has established its own natural channels, we’ll be monitoring the changes and hopefully reintroducing important species such as beavers to create a rich and dynamic habitat for people and wildlife
Citizen Science and River Activities
Thames21 will be working with residents of Enfield Chase, Edmonton and the wider area to support and monitor the success of the project and make sure the area becomes a shared space for nature and the local community. Check out the forum link to see how you can get involved in the project!
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Thames21 will be working with local people to support and monitor the success of the project and make sure the area becomes a shared space for nature and people.
Types of monitoring:
Riverfly- Discover the creatures that live beneath the water’s surface and use them as indicators of river health
Physical habitat surveys – Assess yourriversfeatures, vegetation,and structure to understand how it is functioning
Water quality monitoring- Test for key indicators and nutrients to build a picture of what's flowing through your local river
eDNA sampling- Detect the presence of species - from rare fish to water voles - through the traces they leave behind in the water.
Soil sampling - Dig beneath your feet and discover how the land has been shaped over time
Citizen Science Programme:
Get trained for free
Monitor your local stretch ofriver
Upload to accessible platforms
View and analyseyour data using Thames21’s CitizenScience Dashboard
In addition, the Friends of Enfield Chase and Enfield Council host regular events at Enfield Chase. You can also get involved in the space through the Friends of Enfield Chase: https://www.friendsofenfieldchase.org.uk/
Thames21 will be working with local people to support and monitor the success of the project and make sure the area becomes a shared space for nature and people.
Types of monitoring:
Riverfly- Discover the creatures that live beneath the water’s surface and use them as indicators of river health
Physical habitat surveys – Assess yourriversfeatures, vegetation,and structure to understand how it is functioning
Water quality monitoring- Test for key indicators and nutrients to build a picture of what's flowing through your local river
eDNA sampling- Detect the presence of species - from rare fish to water voles - through the traces they leave behind in the water.
Soil sampling - Dig beneath your feet and discover how the land has been shaped over time
Citizen Science Programme:
Get trained for free
Monitor your local stretch ofriver
Upload to accessible platforms
View and analyseyour data using Thames21’s CitizenScience Dashboard
In addition, the Friends of Enfield Chase and Enfield Council host regular events at Enfield Chase. You can also get involved in the space through the Friends of Enfield Chase: https://www.friendsofenfieldchase.org.uk/
