A project to restore Manchester’sRiver Irwell has won a prestigious Canal & River Trust’s Living Waterways Award.
The winners were announced during a ceremony at the Royal Armouries at Clarence Dock in Leeds this week.
The river has benefited from a range of ongoing improvements, including the removal of dilapidated weirs and boosted habitats to promote biodiversity and help improve the quality of the water in line with strict European targets.
The Environment Agency, together with the Irwell Rivers Trust, Manchester City Council and other partners, has driven the project, which won the ‘Natural Environment’ category of the awards.
Olly Southgate from the Environment Agency said: “Yet again we have been recognised for the amazing collaborative work being delivered on the Irwell catchment. Receiving further national recognition is good news for the River Irwell, Manchester and the Environment Agency as a whole.
“We have successfully removed 20 weirs in only 3 years, which has breathed new life in to the river. The removal of barriers and weirs not only improves fish migration but helps to create a more natural and diverse range of habitats as well as allowing the river to return to a more natural and sustainable condition.”
Tony Hales, Chairman of the Canal & River Trust, explained the purpose of the awards: “The Living Waterways Awards celebrate the individuals, communities and organisations that have done the most to make a difference to the nation’s historic canals and rivers – making them exciting places to live, learn and spend time.”
The awards are managed by the Canal & River Trust, which promotes regeneration and social well being through improvements to the natural environment.
