River Management

Advice and information on the rights and responsibilities of riparian landowners, and code of good practice are obtainable from the Flood Management Division at the Department of Infrastructure. Alternatively, advice from Fisheries can be obtained from:

 Particular attention should be paid to the following points:

• Consent must be sought from the Department of Infrastructure Flood Management Division for any works that may affect any watercourse (excepting routine vegetation management), for example, riverbank engineering/ protection; installation of bridges, pipes and cross-channel fencing.
• Consent must be sought from the Department of Infrastructure before constructing anything or planting trees/ shrubs within 9.1 metres either side of a watercourse designated as a 'main river' under the Flood Risk Management Act 2013.
• For streams with a mostly stony substrate, works likely to disturb the channel or destabilise banks should be avoided from October to June (inclusive) in order to minimise impact on trout and salmon
• Disturbance of bankside vegetation, including reeds or bushes, should be avoided during the bird nesting season (March to August inclusive)
• If the invasive plants Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed or Himalayan balsam are found on or near river banks advice should be sought from:

Follow the related link to the control of plants advisory service page to view factsheets on Japanese knotweed and Injurious Plants (including giant hogweed). You can also view the UK Environment Agency booklet on invasive non-native plants, which includes Himalayan balsam.