Haverhill Groups Clear River Stour To Make It Safer For Boating

The River Stour Trust and the Sudbury Canoe Club have launched a joint effort to clear blocked sections of the River Stour in Haverhill, Suffolk. Organisers say parts of the river have become dangerous for people in canoes and kayaks because of overgrown reeds and fallen trees. The campaign aims to tidy up the waterway between Kedington and Sturmer to make it easier and safer for the community to use.

Volunteers will start the physical work in February and March 2026 to ensure the river is clear before the bird‑nesting season begins later in the spring. Teams will use small boats and hand tools to remove the growth, which currently leaves some channels barely wide enough for a single paddle. Organisers say the initiative is designed to reopen the river in time for the main paddling season (which they say begins on April 4, 2026).

This project follows a similar drive in Sudbury, where a stretch of the river – at Friars Meadow, Sudbury – was granted official bathing water status in May 2024. The groups say they want to bring those same standards to the area around Haverhill to improve water flow and local access. By clearing the river now, organisers hope to prevent near‑miss incidents where people have previously become trapped in thick reeds or by fallen branches.

While the Environment Agency is responsible for managing flood risk and is the navigation authority for parts of the Stour, these volunteer groups often step in to handle elective maintenance needed for recreational boating. Organisers are asking local residents to join the project to help restore river health and ensure the waterway remains open. The work will be overseen by trained River Stour Trust marshals to make sure the environment is protected during the clearance.