Rivers and streams habitat audit

Definition
All free-flowing watercourses above the tidal limit

Nature Conservation Importance
The catchment of London rivers is mainly urban and these rivers provide a valuable green corridor within the built environment. The mosaic of features found in rivers and streams support a diverse range of plants and animals. Grey wagtails and kingfishers can been seen feeding and nesting along London's watercourses. Diverse assemblages of wetland plants can also be seen such as brooklime, water mint, sedges and watercress. Watercourses also provide links between various sites of conservation interest including Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protected Areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Local Nature Reserves and Sites of Metropolitan, Borough and Local Importance, thus connecting plants and animal communities that would otherwise be isolated.

Important populations of common and nationally rare fish species are present within London's rivers. Growing pollution and habitat loss combined to destroy fisheries in the early nineteenth century, however since the 1960's there have been major improvement in waste water treatment and improved river water quality. Fish populations are generally recovering but still remain fragile. There are small populations of minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) and bullhead (Cottus gobio). Recent enhancement schemes and river restorations, for example those on the Ravensbourne, have found elvers as far upstream as Norman Park in Bromley.

The water vole has declined by 90 per cent throughout Britain while in Greater London it has disappeared from over 72 per cent of the sites occupied prior to 1997. However, Greater London does support some strongholds for water voles with significant populations at Rainham Marshes, the River Cray, Lee Valley, Crayford, River Crane and Erith Marshes. The Marsh Dykes display some of the finest examples of floodplain grazing marsh and are rich in bird life, plants and mammals.

Threats
A consequence of urbanisation resulting in the loss of floodplain and associated river corridors, has been to increase the "flashiness" of its rivers, meaning that river levels rise very quickly following heavy rain. Historically, the response to an increased demand for land for development and infrastructure has been to culvert, straighten and artificially reinforce the river channels, thereby losing natural features and habitats. Plants and animals including fish are simply washed away in the concrete channels during times of heavy flow.

There are also a number of exotic invasive plant species that have been introduced and subsequently naturalised into London waterways and wetlands at the expense of more natural vegetation. Plants such as floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) and New Zealand pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii) can form large mats of floating vegetation that cover and choke the water surface. Within Greater London, floating pennywort is now widespread on the River Lee, River Roding, Wandle and Marsh Dykes. Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) and other species are also spreading along the banks of our rivers. The introduced Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis,) which burrow into river banks, can severely erode them leading to eventual collapse of the banks. These can be found on the Ravensbourne, River Quaggy, River Wandle, Hogsmill River, River Roding, River Lee, River Crane and River Brent and are another potential threat to freshwater habitats and their native species.

Pollution from many different sources including misconnections within domestic drains impact on the ecology of our London watercourses.

Furthermore, habitat fragmentation is a problem in London, as elsewhere in Britain. It is therefore important to improve degraded habitats to help link existing sites and make them viable.

Climate change may also impact upon the biodiversity of London. The recent colonisation and expanding distribution of certain insect species in the south and east of England for example insects such as Roesel's bush cricket (Metrioptera roeselii) and the Long-winged conehead (Conocephalus discolor) are rapidly expanding their range in a north westerly direction across Britain. Birds too are reflecting subtle changes in the climate. This means that in order to protect and enhance London's importance wildlife these changes should be reflected in future proposals to improve the watercourses.

Opportunities
There are, however, significant opportunities to restore and enhance our rivers as part of urban regeneration. In order that regeneration is sustainable it will have to recognise the environmental, economic and social benefits of river restoration. Examples of such restoration work can be seen within all our London river catchments.