Designated sites in the Eden Valley

The Eden has the following designations:

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The River Eden and tributaries was notified a Site of Special Scientific Interest under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) as Amended.

Covering 2,425.13ha of the Eden catchment it is noted for:

- Floating vegetation of plain and sub mountainous rivers
- White Clawed Crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes
- Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar
- Brook Lamprey Lampetra planeri
- River Lamprey Lamptera fluviatilis
- Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus
- Bullhead Cottus gobio
- Otter Lutra lutra

Directive 92/43/EEC, Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The River Eden and tributaries is a Special Area of Conservation under the European Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC, which extended the level of protection to include residual alluvial woodland and cover an area of 2,550 ha.

Directive 79/409/EEC, Conservation of Wild Birds.

In the north east of the catchment is the Geltsdale Reserve, managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The Ramsar Convention 1973.

In the north of the catchment Rockcliffe Marshes, areas of the Solway Firth, Butterburn Flow and Kielder Mires are all ‘Wetlands of International Importance' in accordance with the Convention.

The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.

The post war act set up the Lake District National Park, the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (A.O.N.B.), the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Yorkshire Dales National Park and a number of National and Local Nature Reserves.