Conservation Designations
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
In 1993, in recognition of the River's quality and importance for
wildlife, English Nature
designated 71km of river channel between South Raynham and Hellesdon
Mill, together with sections of two tributaries, as the River Wensum
SSSI. 
In addition areas of wet unimproved meadow, fen, scrub and alder
carr have been included within the boundary where they form an integral
and dependent part of the river system. The River Wensum SSSI, covers an
area of 393 hectares (c. 982 acres), and is one of the best examples of
a naturally enriched lowland calcareous river in the country.
The Wensum Valley Project area also contains a number of other SSSIs, including Whitwell Common (near Reepham), Beetley and Hoe Meadows (near Dereham), Sweetbriar Meadows (Norwich) and Alderford Common.
Candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC)
The Wensum was designated as a candidate Special Area of Conservation
in March 2001. It forms part of a Europe-wide network of important
wildlife sites, which has been established as a result of the European
Habitats Directive. There are five European features for which the
Wensum has been selected; Bullhead (a fish), Brook Lamprey (a fish),
White-clawed crayfish, Desmoulin’s Whorl Snail and watercourses with
water crowfoot and water starwort vegetation.
County Wildlife Sites (CWS)
CWSs are sites of importance for nature conservation on a county-wide scale.
During the 1980s, a habitat survey covering the whole county was carried out by the Norfolk Naturalists Trust (now Norfolk Wildlife Trust - NWT), funded by the Nature Conservancy Council (now English Nature) and Norfolk County Council. The NWT identified 1500 County Wildlife Sites (CWS) for the whole of Norfolk, 88 of which were located within the Wensum Valley Project area. Seven of the 88 CWSs were incorporated into the River Wensum SSSI when it was designated.
