River Mease scheme aims to improve water quality
A scheme to help improve water quality and habitats for fish will see 220 tonnes of gravel used to restore a riverbed. The work will be carried out this week by the Trent Rivers Trust as part of efforts to try and "climate-proof" the River Mease in Staffordshire. The gravel will work as a natural filter to improve oxygen levels. It will be introduced on a 500m-stretch (547yds) near Edingale, north of Tamworth, the trust said. As well as improving water quality, Ruth Needham, from the organisation, said it would provide fish with spawning grounds and new habitats. "Our work on this stretch in the Mease is about creating a legacy for wildlife and people," she added. The work will cost about 60,000 and has been funded by the Environment Agency. The Mease, like other rivers , has suffered from pollution and discharges of sewage which have caused high levels of phosphates, the trust said. Those levels along with other nutrients in rivers can lead to algal blooms and, ultimately, the loss of many species that make rivers their home. Ms Needham said the work should help species such as white-clawed crayfish and spined loach fish. It would also "climate-proof" the waterway for the future, Vicki Liu, from the Environment Agency, said. "Restoring the lost riverbed, reprofiling the riverbanks and improving the wet woodland section will help mitigate the impacts of climate change," she added. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk Thousands of trees planted to protect salmon River pollution threatening thousands of new homes Trent Rivers Trust Alastair Stewart praised for eloquence as charity talks vascular dementia risk Review: Oktoberfest at Alton Towers brings Bavarian singers, bratwurst and a new exclusive beer Crewe: 'Phoenix Nights' character announces second date performing in town Crewe company director takes on coast-to-coast walk for charity Bar staff at a Sandbach craft bar brew ale in memory of their late much-loved manager New analysis reveals HS2 could lead to reduced train services in Crewe Morocco rescuers dig with bare hands as foreign aid sent US denies Cold War with China in historic Vietnam visit How Russia and West agreed on Ukraine G20 language How Russia and West agreed on Ukraine G20 language US denies Cold War with China in historic Vietnam visit 'Everyone in this village is either dead or missing' A Serbian scientist's long quest to name Srebrenica's dead How chronic pain feels for me. Video How chronic pain feels for me Guyana scrambles to make the most of oil wealth The spongy creatures cleaning Zanzibar's oceans. Video The spongy creatures cleaning Zanzibar's oceans Inside a 'hijacked' South African building. Video Inside a 'hijacked' South African building The rise and fall of a parenting influencer Florida's first hurricane-proof town The greatest spy novel ever written? Why is everyone crazy about Aperol? 2023 BBC.