Posted on December 17, 2025
A new dredging project will repurpose sediment to help restore an eroding saltmarsh and enhance biodiversity along a river.
Harwich Haven Authority (HHA), based in Essex, will work with Suffolk Yacht Harbour to make improvements along the River Orwell near Ipswich.
Work recently started at Levington Creek, which has experienced steady erosion for decades, and mud dredged from moorings as part of routine marina maintenance has been pumped into the area.
Jim Warner, a construction and dredging manager at HHA, said the project was a “great example” of how essential dredging operations could be turned into “tangible environmental benefits”.
“This nature-based approach not only strengthens the shoreline and improves flood resilience but also creates important new opportunities for wildlife to thrive – especially the seabirds that depend on these fragile ecosystems,” Mr Warner added.
Jonathan Dyke, from Suffolk Yacht Harbour, welcomed the assistance of HHA in providing “additional infrastructure support to retain dredged silt over a wider area enabling the retention of more sediment which will accelerate the restoration of the saltmarsh”.
The project, named the Beneficial Use of Dredging, involves engineering the placement of material, supported by the installation of bio-degradable barriers, to rebuild the saltmarsh platform, bolster natural flood defences and create new habitats for a range of coastal wildlife.
In February the project will also begin work at Copperas Bay on the River Stour, Essex, in partnership with the The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Essex Wildlife Trust.
The land at Levington Creek is owned by the Suffolk Yacht Harbour
Levington Creek will be monitored throughout next year
Suffolk Wildlife Trust has been supporting the project at Levington due to its adjacent nature reserve.
Andrew Excell, the trust’s South East Suffolk site manager, said the restored saltmarsh would have “significant benefits” for roosting wading bird and waterfowl species.
“The estuary is internationally recognised for its importance in supporting many thousands of birds in winter months,” he said.
“Estuarine habitats like this, in locations away from human disturbance, are critical in helping survival of these species, especially in the colder winter months when they desperately need to conserve energy.”
