The tourism industry is set to enjoy a significant boost from a multi-million pound investment in a major Gloucestershire landmark.

A new wildlife project to reopen the River Severn has secured almost £20million of funding - £10.8million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £6 million from the European Union LIFE programme.

The scheme will re-open the River Severn and its major tributary for fish and wildlife, reconnecting millions of people and local communities with the lost natural, cultural and industrial heritage of the river.

It is the largest project of its kind ever attempted in Europe and will reopen the UK's longest river to all fish species, many of which became extinct following the installation of weirs required to power the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s.

The work will remove blockages and secure the long-term future of many of the UK's declining and protected fish species by substantially increasing access to important spawning grounds.

This includes vital species such as the now threatened twaite and allis shad - a species favoured in the court of Henry III, once abundant and famed all across Europe for its taste and quality.

The project will also benefit other critically declining species such as salmon and the European eel - all species upon which the communities along the banks of the River Severn were historically built.

The project was developed as part of a three-year-long collaborative partnership between the Severn Rivers Trust, the Canal and River Trust, the Environment Agency and Natural England.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said: "After considerable investment, rivers in England are the healthiest for 20 years.

"This is down to more than a decade of hard work.

"But there is more to do and ambitious projects, such as the Unlocking the River Severn, to remove weirs and help fish migrate are a crucial part of this.

"But this isn't just about fish - we want this project to reconnect millions of people with this beautiful river.

"This is a great example of working with partners in order to play to different organisations' strengths, make our money go further and deliver more."

Today, more than 6 million people live within close proximity of the River Severn, which flows through Powys, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, and the project will build upon the wide economic and social benefits to local communities the river brings.

Recreational and commercial fishing activities contribute £15million to the river each year with a further £4.4million per annum from recreational activities, such as walking and cycling along the Severn Way.

The project is expected to build on this by restoring the fish populations to bring additional economic benefits, as well as enhancing the recreational and tourism opportunities along the river.

The project will also work closely with local communities and schools in order to reconnect millions of people with the natural, cultural and industrial heritage on the rivers.

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, said: "We are delighted to receive this very significant funding to help us restore this important fish stock to the upper River Severn, and we are very grateful to the HLF and the European LIFE fund.

"Whilst the weirs have played a vital role in enabling boats to use the river for over 200 years, it is fantastic that we can now introduce the fish passes that will open up the river for fish and wildlife once again.

"Work to install the first of seven state-of-the-art fish passes will begin in 2017, and the project will take approximately 5 years to complete."

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Picture credit: geography.org.uk,  copyright Pauline E  and used under this Creative Commons Licence