Re-meandering

In the past, rivers have been straightened by cutting off meanders (historically, many rivers in northern and western Europe have been straightened and channelized to facilitate log floating and/or speed up the drainage of water and control/limit the river bed movements).ﾠ Re-meandering is bringing a river back closer to its naturally meandering state by creating a new meandering course and by reconnecting cut-off meanders.ﾠ Re-meandering slows down the flow of a river.ﾠ The new form of the river channel creates new flow conditions and very often also has an impact on sedimentation.ﾠ The newly created or reconnected meanders also provide habitats for a wide range of aquatic and land species of plants and animals.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission