New Surrey wetland takes shape

A new wetland reserve has been created in Surrey and opens to the public this month.

Chamber Mead Wetlands, near Ewell, will naturally protect the River Hogsmill and ultimately the River Thames from pollution, according to the South East Rivers Trust.

Road run-offs, sewage pipes and storm discharges adversely affect water quality in the area. The trust says the new wetlands will conserve the site's chalk stream and help the area become a haven for wildlife.

Chamber Mead Wetlands has been newly created along the River Hogsmill (South East Rivers Trust).

Community asset

An open day on 20 April offered people the chance to learn more about the wetlands' environmental role.

The project is part of a wider partnership between the Rivers Trust and The Coca-Cola Foundation to help clean some of Britain's most polluted rivers, reduce flood risk, and to create new wetland habitats in both rural and urban locations across the country, replenishing 1.6 billion litres of water.

Water will flow along the Green Lanes Stream, but instead of running straight into the Hogsmill River, is being diverted through a sediment trap and two wetlands. At the other end, the wetland is connected into the Hogsmill River, downstream of the stepping stones

As they develop, the wetlands will add variety of habitat and amenity benefit to the Hogsmill Local Nature Reserve, as well as improve water quality for a 200-m section of chalk stream.