Home | Recovering the Deben from Source to Sea

Recovering the Deben: From Source to Sea is an ambitious project that aims to restore the land, water, and nature throughout the River Deben catchment and estuary.

Our vision is to recover the River Deben for people to love and wildlife to thrive

Tide Mill at Woodbridge reflected in the calm waters of the River Deben at sunset

Aerial view of the River Deben at Woodbridge, showing boats, marshes, and the town on a sunny day

Close-up of a kingfisher perched on a branch above water

DISCOVER RECOVERING THE DEBEN

Find out how the project began, who’s involved, and how we’re working together to restore the river Deben from source to sea.

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OUR LATEST PROJECT NEWS AND UPDATES

APRIL 2026 - River Deben breach at the Ufford Hole creates biodiversity and river flow crisis

The 400-year old Hawkeswade Bridge and nearby Ufford Hole on the River Deben have been a popular spot for walkers and for wild swimmers for many years. Residents of Ufford awoke on Monday this week to find a small breach in the weir with water levels falling rapidly, draining the Hole and lowering river levels on both sides of the bridge.

Click on the title of this article, or the "Read more" button for the full article. - Read more

MARCH 2026 - The Upper Deben - Understanding the River Upstream - River Deben Association

Tony Carter's article explores upper reaches of the catchment.

Click on the title of this article, or the "Read more" button for the full article on the River Deben Association's website - Read more

WHAT'S ON
Events and dates of note for the Deben catchment

River Deben, Lower Ufford - coastalrunner.png

Head to our calendar to see events for the rest of the year

Find out more about the above and other future events here

Calendar

PROJECT THEMES

Recovering the Deben from Source to Sea is a large landscape-scale project that includes five key areas of work. Each of the sections below represents a different focus area - click to explore how we’re restoring natural edges to riverbanks, improving water quality, rebuilding habitat connectivity, utilising natural flood management (NFM) and promoting the value of the river and the water within it.