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Many lowland rivers in Western Europe have been substantially modified to aid land drainage and support the intensification of agriculture (Harrison et al., 2004).   Low-gradient rivers flowing through the agricultural and urban landscapes of north-west Europe have long been subjected to intensive management (Purseglove 1988; Moss 1998; Rackham 2000). Probably more than 95% of lowland river channels in south-east England and Denmark have been modified to enhance land drainage, river navigation and flood prevention (Iversen et al.,1993; Brookes 1995). As a result, many have highly simplified and uniform channels, unnaturally steep banks and little dynamic connectivity with their flood plains.