The East Yorkshire Rivers Trust, which has been working on a chalk river near Driffield, has secured a £20,000 grant from Biffa.
The project, which was awarded funding under Biffa Award’s Rebuilding Biodiversity theme, has restored a 1.6km stretch of Lowthorpe Beck and improved 12.4 ha of adjacent wet woodland as part of the Hull Headwaters SSSI Restoration Plan.
Parts of the Hull Headwaters SSSI were in unfavourable condition and did not meet the conservation requirements.
Problems involving siltation, barriers to fish passage and over shading by invasive native species have led to habitat deterioration.
Restoration work was undertaken to change the course of a river around an historic silted up mill pond and remove invasive species.
Alan Mullinger, project manager at East Yorkshire Rivers Trust, said: “The first phase of this project has delivered large improvements to the diversity and ecology of the stream but also towards the sustainability of the site.
“The on-going work will benefit the biodiversity of this overgrown wet woodland and be accessible to the public using the nearby bridle path.”
Christopher Oughtred, chairman of Foston Fishing Club, said: “This has been the most amazing project. We have replaced a redundant old Mill Pool (which was full of silt and which nobody was willing to maintain or repair) with 295 metres of vibrant chalk stream.
“The trout, insect and plant life have been transformed as a result.”