Thread by @JPCurtinClimate

1/ This is the Otter Estuary in Devon - for over 200 years the habitat has been squeezed - here’s a thread on our fantastic work to open it up, create 55ha of salt marsh & add natural flood protection. Oh & the story of a rather strange 1920s mini aqueduct 🧵 #geographyteacher …

2/ In the early 1800s the Lower Otter was drained and constrained and lost two thirds of its natural range. With sea level rise maintaining those defences has become less viable - so a new approach is needed…..

3/ The Lower Otter Restoration Project is returning the estuary to its natural range by creating new meander channels and allowing the tide to return to the whole estuary. The 55ha of new salt marsh will also provide a flood buffer to protect Budleigh from flooding..

4/ There is some hard engineering involved. The bank on the left will be the height of the new road above the flood level - compare with the frequently flooded existing road on the right! A large culvert is being constructed to let the tides thru under the new road…

5/ Steve from the construction team kindly allowed me into the cofferdam to see the road bridge work from the inside. The black line on the pillar shows the level the river bed will be returned to….

6/ Here are some of the new meanders being added before the old Victorian bank is breached to allow the sea to return…

7/ but further up the estuary is a bit of a first for me. This is the Budleigh Brook. In the 1920s it was diverted into the smallest aqueduct I’ve ever seen! This was built to keep the land drained but hardly an ideal environmental solution…

8/ A video of a tiny aqueduct for your enjoyment!

9/ As part of the project the Brook will be reconnected with the flood plain - providing even more habitat improvements and improved flows….

10/ Thanks to everyone working on a unique and wonderful project. All the detail you need here to learn more lowerotterrestorationproject.co.uk