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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.

OUR LATEST PROJECT NEWS AND UPDATES

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AUG 2026 - KEEPING RIVER WILDLIFE AND USERS SAFE THIS SUMMER

Wildlife Wise is joining forces with Suffolk Police this summer to patrol Suffolk waterways in a bid to safeguard the county’s most protected species and their habitats.

 

Read more on the East Suffolk Council website.

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AUG 2026 - RIVERSIDE FOOTPATH TO BE RESTORED AFTER WEIR DAMAGE

The Hawkeswade Bridge at Ufford, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, forms part of a popular route for walkers beside the River Deben but has been out of bounds since April. Persistent rain had caused a weir structure to fall away, which in turn caused the bridge to partially collapse and water to flow on to surrounding land.onia.

 

Read more on the BBC News website.

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AUG 2026 - DCC SHARE AUGUST ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING RESULTS

​Another month has passed with almost no rainfall in Suffolk and for most of the rest of the East Anglia. The Deben Climate Centre have published the latest Environmental monitoring results for the River Deben and its tributaries including testing the water for E.coli, phosphates, nitrates, and ammonia.

 

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

WHAT'S ON
EVENTS AND IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE DEBEN CATCHMENT

Are you hosting a river themed event related to the Deben? Please contact us with more information.

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LOCAL SCREENING OF THE PEOPLE'S EMERGENCY BRIEFING​​​​​

Location: Debenham Community Centre
Date: Friday 11th September 2026
Time: 7:30pm, Doors open from 6:45

 

The Debenham Green Team invite you to attend a local screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing film on the risks to British life and the UK economy from ongoing damage to nature and to our climate. Read more on the Debenham Green Team website.

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FESTIVAL OF NATURE OPENING EVENT - SUFFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST

Location: Seckford Theatre, Burkitt Road, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP124HJ
Date: Sunday 20 September 2026
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Discover Suffolk's wildlife with talks from Suffolk Wildlife Trust staff alongside special guest Angela Harding, well-known artist, who will delve into her creative process and how the natural world has inspired her work. Booking required: Read more on the Suffolk Wildlife Trust website.

Visit our events calendar to see what's happening this year across the Deben catchment​​

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.

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