River Ehen facts for kids
The River Ehen is a river located in Cumbria, England. It begins at the western end of Ennerdale Water. The river flows west through a village called Ennerdale Bridge. Here, another stream, Croasdale Beck, joins it. Ennerdale Water itself gets its water from the River Liza.
The Ehen continues its journey past Cleator Moor and Cleator. In Cleator, it is joined by the River Keekle. The river then moves south through Egremont. Finally, it flows alongside the Irish Sea and joins it near Sellafield. The River Calder also meets the sea at the same spot.
River Ehen Wildlife
The River Ehen is very important for wildlife. It is home to the largest group of freshwater pearl mussels in England. These special mussels live in the riverbed.
The river is also a breeding place for Atlantic salmon. These fish swim upstream from the sea to lay their eggs. Sometimes, fish are caught from the river without permission, which can harm the salmon population.
Protecting the River Ehen
The River Ehen was named a Special Area of Conservation in 2005. This means it is a very important place for nature and needs special protection. The part of the coast where the river flows into the sea was also protected in 2013. It became the Cumbria Coast Marine Conservation Zone.
The Ehen is famous for the Ennerdale black pearl. This is a rare black pearl that forms inside the freshwater pearl mussels. The River Ehen is the only river in England that is part of a project called "Pearls in Peril." This project gets money from the European Union to help save freshwater pearl mussels. The project aims to protect these mussels at 21 different places in the UK. Freshwater pearl mussels need certain fish, like salmon and trout, to complete part of their life cycle.
In the past, the Sellafield site used water from the River Ehen for cooling. However, they stopped doing this in the 1990s. There is a small dam, called a weir, on Ennerdale Water. For many years, Ennerdale Water was a key source of drinking water for people in West Cumbria. This water was supplied by United Utilities. However, due to environmental reasons, the Environment Agency decided that United Utilities had to stop taking water from Ennerdale. This change meant that by 2025, United Utilities needed to find new ways to supply water. They planned to use a new pipeline from Thirlmere instead.
External Links
- Wath Brow and Ennerdale Angling Association
