Today we had a visit from two Environment Agency (EA) officers Vicki Liu and Tracy Doherty to look at potential gains in biodiversity and flood alleviation on Halford Flood Meadow. Dr Nick Stegall from Middlemarch Environmental was also present to collaborate on the many different exciting design proposals that the flood meadow presents. The Environment Agency officers were extremely helpful and supportive of plans to reconnect the river to the floodplain and create a more biodiverse habitat within both the river channel and floodplain. The words incised and over deep were used many times when referring to the channel shape which means that the river doesn't have many opportunities to use its floodplain and therefore the energy of the river is causing vertical erosion of the bed, lowering it and disconnecting it further from the floodplain. If the floodplain was more connected the river would spill out more often taking pressure off the river channel and therefore allowing habitats to form through natural processes. Thanks to the EA and Middlemarch for this time today, it was insightful, encouraging and very exciting to know that we can make a difference to this part of the River Stour and contribute to the wider goal of reversing climate change.