THE EMM Brook will soon be the focus of a major recovery project, in an effort to help local wildlife thrive.
A project to breathe life back into the waterway has been launched in order to restore the river for the benefit of both local residents and animals alike.
The Emm Brook is nine kilometres or five-and-a-half miles long, and begins its journey near Old Wokingham Road.
It flows west, around Wokingham and through Woosehill, before joining the River Loddon near Dinton Pastures Country Park.
According to the South East Rivers Trust, the waterway was diverted in the past in order to power a mill which has since closed.
It made the river “straight as an arrow”, and now it suffers from a lack of habitat diversity.
“A natural, healthy river would be gently meandering with deep pools, shallow riffles and a variety of flow speeds,” the Trust explained.
“This creates a patchwork of different habitats that supports a rich and diverse community of plants and animals.”
And it said the river suffers from “a lethal cocktail” which is toxic to any aquatic wildlife because it runs alongside the A329(M).
This leads to surface water flowing into the brook which is contaminated with “more than 300 different chemicals including heavy metals and ammonia” from exhaust fumes, car brakes and tyres, and roadside infrastructure.
Now, it’s hoped that the Emm Brook can be restored to its former glory when it used to meander through Riverside Park in Woosehill.
The South East Rivers Trust said this channel still exists today, and could become home to a “dynamic and wildlife-rich river habitat”.
The initiative has been launched by members of the Loddon Catchment Partnership, and would be co-funded by the European Union and the Environment Agency.
The restoration project intends to revive the section of the Emm Brook that runs through Riverside Park, and hopes to reconnect
the old waterway for people to enjoy.
This would also divert the brook away from the A329(M).
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey, ward councillor for Emmbrook, welcomed the proposal.
“I grew up living on Murray Road and have been very familiar with the Emmbrook all of my life,” she said.
“Until the Wokingham water works was built in 1881, this was the main water supply for the residents in the area and my own maps show a series of mills constructed along its route.
“This project will now see the river restored to its original route and allow more of the natural wildlife to return.
“It looks like a very good and sensible thing to do.”
Fellow Emm Brook ward councillor UllaKarin Clark says she is also in support of the regeneration programme.
“This is a exciting project with no doubt several benefits, such as restoring fish migration routes and the possibility of improving the water quality before it runs into the river,” she said.
“This will benefit the council’s Greenway project through Woosehill Park and finally, the path across the site to Morrisons will be less prone to flooding.”
The South East Rivers Trust said it will host a series of events in the future so that local residents can get involved in the restoration project.
“Help us make this stretch of the Emm Brook a space for local people, cared for by local people,” it said.
The Trust is currently in the process of applying for planning permission in order to carry out the restoration project.
