Essex Rivers Hub

This area is a Local Wildlife Site and is currently managed for hay. This area also floods when the river levels are high. Read more...

There is a signicant barrier close to Noaks Hill Road which is protecting the nearby houses from flooding, however this will be a significant barrier to fish trying to move up and down stream. Read more...

The channel runs through a strip of managed grassland between houses and then extends into arable fields. There is also an area not being farmed that could be used to create off channel ponds, tree planting etc. Read more...

This area is a public footpath on the north bank and an area of housing on the south bank. This is a nice public walkway. The north bank has good bankside vegetation and the channel has lots of reed and other aquatic plants. Read more...

There is a small area on the east bank that is being grazed by ponies but they are having quite a significant impact on the banks and surrounnding land. Read more...

There is a grassland area on the west bank near Church Land, Crays Hill, that could be improved for wildlife and create better bankside habitat. Read more...

There is a ford that allows the landowner to access both banks. Currently the banks, at this point, are covered in loose shingle and the river bed is silt. When used, vehicles will disturb the river bed causing silt to wash downstream. Read more...

The river Crouch runs through a large area of arable land from Billericay to Wickford Town. In most areas there are buffer strips but often they are very narrow strips of vegetation and not managed in the most affective way. If increased in size and managed better this could be a great help in reducing runoff from the fields. Read more...

Large areas of the banks in this area are left completely bare over winter as they are dominated by Himalayan Balsam in the spring and summer. This plant dies back to nothing after the first frost then returns to the banks in spring. Read more...

The banks are very steep, which reduces the types and number of plants that can grow here. Reprofiling the banks so that they have a more gradual slope will increase the number and variety that can grow along the banks and create better connectivity between bank and channel habitats.

Non- native invasive species can be damaging to river habitats, therefore finding out what species are a problem in the Crouch is the first step to tackling them. Read more...

There are many drainage ditches entering the Crouch in Wickford Memorial Park and many of these seem to contain polluted water. the most likely cause of these pollutants is surface runoff from roads and other pathing and potential dirty water from washing machines, etc where homes have not been plumbed correctly. Read more...

The bankside vegetation is very dense in places with mature trees and bramble so that the channel is heavily shaded. Read more...

The river Crouch flows through Wickford Memorial Park which is a popular open space for local people within the urban area. The river itself has little in-channel variation resulting in relatively steep banks with almost uniform width and a straight channel. Read more...