What If?
Imagine being able to walk from central Lewisham to Lee Green, over the border into Greenwich and then on to Grove Park – all within a stone’s throw of a restored, fully functioning River Quaggy.
That is the prospect if our ambitious ‘Quaggy Links’ project comes to fruition.
For over thirty years QWAG has inspired proper restoration and better treatment of our local rivers while helping thousands of people to get to know and enjoy their stretch.
We are now planning the last major restoration of the River Quaggy – and we want you to get involved.
Restored rivers work
Stand-out achievements from QWAG’s 30 years are the major restorations of the River Quaggy in Grove Park at Chinbrook Meadows and in Greenwich at Sutcliffe Park.
In both locations the Quaggy was once stuck in concrete and hidden from view – either behind fencing and hedging or, in the case of Sutcliffe Park, entirely invisible because the river had been buried underground.
Today, the River Quaggy is now naturalised and fully accessible in these green spaces for safe play, exercise and recreation. People also enjoy the added benefits of being able to witness a dynamic natural environment take shape as the restored river attracts wildlife as it also holds back potential flood waters.
Those are the real, tangible benefits of river restoration and are why QWAG has been planning the last major restoration of the River Quaggy to release the river from a very long stretch of concrete between those two showcase restorations.
Quaggy Links
We call this proposed section of the river ‘Quaggy Links’ because it would link, complement and make the most of the existing restorations.
The photograph shows the Quaggy just downstream of Chinbrook Meadows, where instead of meandering as it should, the river is stuck in a straight, walled concrete. To all intents and purposes, the river here is dead and is devoid of nature.
And in flood risk terms, by being stuck in concrete the river is unable to absorb high rainfall and water flows. Flood risk may even be being made worse because any excess water will just be moved at speed downstream because the river is straight and without any features to absorb and hold back high water.
Linking nature and people
The river is also not doing anything to benefit people – such as boosting health and recreation and supporting formal and informal learning.
The benefits of the existing restorations would be multiplied if the 2km stretch of the river covered by Quaggy Links were released from concrete so that the riverbed and walls could play a full role in bringing nature back and cutting flood risk over a much longer stretch.
Quaggy Links would also open up new public access routes along the river linking areas of the boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham that are currently disconnected.
The re-naturalisation of the river could even extend the existing the Green Chain and the Capital Ring walking routes in a real boost to public access and enjoyment.
Get involved
The Quaggy is crying out to be released and re-naturalised in this long straight concreted section.
‘Quaggy Links’ is undeniably ambitious, and we are working with partners at the Environment Agency and Thames21 to get it going.
You can help by supporting QWAG, by joining in some of the events we are planning to promote the project, and by donating funds to help us move the project along.
What if the River Quaggy were fully restored by 2030? Why not?
