AN IMPORTANT seminar takes place next month to discuss progress on £3.3 million plans to rejuvenate the 90-mile long River Eden.

The event is hosted by the Appleby-based Eden Rivers Trust, which is driving a major restoration project for the far-reaching waterway.

Taking place at the Rheged Centre, near Penrith, from 9am on March 13, delegates will be updated on the scheme and work of the 400-member trust.

It has already received £200,000 for development work for its scheme, and has applied for £1 million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with a decision due in summer.

It also hopes to win financial support from Rural Regeneration Cumbria and various other bodies, as well as raising thousands of pounds over the next three years.

The Eden, which starts high up on Mallerstang Common, near Kirkby Stephen, and snakes along the eastern fringe of the county to empty into the Solway north of Carlisle, is home to more listed plant species than any other UK river.

It is also renowned for its otter population, Atlantic Salmon and white-clawed crayfish, as well as being a crucial visitor attraction for lovers of the countryside.

An impact study commissioned by the trust has shown that the project would benefit the local economy by an estimated £1.7 million a year.

Across the river's 3,500 square-mile catchment area, angling alone is responsible for bringing in £1.2 million a year - which could double if the works go ahead.

Central to the project are plans to give the river an environmental makeover. This ranges from works on habitat management, preserving fish stocks, working with farmers and improving access for fishermen and the public. There are also hopes for a River Heritage Centre.

Project manager Alistair Maltby said of the seminar: "It is open to everyone who has an interest in the river and they should please come along to learn more about the Eden Rivers Trust.

"The scheme is progressing well. Initially, we tried to tackle every problem to do with the river but realised that would cost tens of millions of pounds which we are never going to get and would take 25 years or more. We realised we has had to target our work, and in the right locations."

Of the importance of the river and the work planned, Mr Maltby said: "If we ain't going to do it, no-one else is. It's the water we drink, the water where tourism and recreation in the area is based, and if you took the water from farming, tourism, and recreation, we have not got much else left. It's a silent asset to the area which many people do not realise."

English Nature, the Environment Agency, United Utilities and a range of angling clubs are among the organisations with which the trust works.

Anyone wanting to attend the event must contact the trust on 01768-353992 or at www.edenriverstrust.org.uk