Prior to the arrival of agriculture and heavy industry, the River Wear and its tributaries would have flowed through vast areas of woodland and be well connected with its flood plain. Water levels would have remained at a consistent level, temperatures would have well-regulated and there would be large amounts of woody debris features in the channel to provide food and shelter for aquatic organisms. Since most of these trees have now been removed to make way for farming, towns and villages, the aquatic environment is now under threat from increasing temperatures and habitat degradation. 

The riparian zone plays a critical role in keeping water temperatures cool. It is predicted that climate change will lead to an increase in both air and water temperatures of around 2 – 4 oC by 2050 (Environment Agency, 2016). In areas where there is little riparian tree cover this will lead to significant impacts on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Steps are therefore needed to ensure water temperatures are kept cool, especially for cold water species such as Brown Trout and Atlantic Salmon which are not just important in terms of wildlife but also economically through angling participation.  The loss of riparian habitat also leads to deterioration in water quality, increased flood risk and loss of habitat as.  

The River Wear catchment is characterised as a steep high energy system with a long history of changes in land use, drainage improvements and channel modifications. These include deforestation and drainage of the uplands, urbanisation, agricultural drainage, channel straightening, dredging and flood bank construction. These physical modifications have created a highly dynamic system, almost entirely disconnected with its flood plain, which has led to loss of many areas of riparian habitats.