Habitat created on the River Meon at East Meon

The River Meon through the pretty village of East Meon, has flowed through a concrete-lined channel for several decades — a biologically sterile environment with few plants, insects or birds. 

Working with villagers, the Parish Council, the Environment Agency and South Downs National Park, WTT Conservation Officers Andy Thomas and Mike Blackmore have added some much needed natrual habitat to a 40m length of the river. 

A meandering stream has been defined by two lines of stones bonded to the concrete bed of the river with berms created by the addition of 25 tonnes of stone; these berms have been planted up with a range of local chalkstream plant species. 

The result is a stream more pleasing to the eye and which should greatly improve life not only for the villagers but for plants, bugs, birds, bats and maybe trout too in this reach of the Meon.

An extensive flood modelling exercise indicates that the work poses no increased flood risk to the village — an important consideration for residents who live very close to he river.

The project was funded by South Downs National Park, East Meon Parish Council and funds raised for our Pasco James Memorial Fund, in honour of Pasco, a very keen fisher and river man who died too soon in Feb 2010 at the age of 22.

To view the enhancement project, before and after, click here