Background The ecological importance and the functional key role of headwater hydrosystems are very often underestimated and largely unknown. Four major species of community interest covered by the Habitats Directive are linked to those hydrosystems: the white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera), brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) and the bullhead (Cottus gobio). Both the white-clawed crayfish and the freshwater pearl mussel are endangered and as a result of damage to their habitats. The project will take place on 13 pSCIs and some 54 km of rivers and streams in the Bourgogne and Franche-Comté regions of France. Objectives The aim of the project was to test different techniques in order to preserve, to restore or to improve the quality of the headwaters and their associated habitats, and to manage species associated with headwater streams. The main project actions foreseen included restoration of targeted streams, both at river bed and floodplain level, removal of migration barriers, protection against cattle trampling and mitigation of damage caused by forestry work. These actions would benefit all species of aquatic flora and fauna within the 13 pSCIs. The project also planned to control invasive alien species and to reintroduce the native white-clawed crayfish on two sites. The project would publicise its actions to the general public and nature management professionals. It was hoped that these communication actions would help to develop collective concern about the fragility of small rivers, as well as highlighting the key biological and hydrological roles they play and their natural heritage value. Results The project experimented with a wide range of techniques for preserving or restoring the quality of the headwaters and their associated habitats and for managing species associated with headwater streams. Specific works to restore the physical integrity or ecological continuity of streams included the removal of nine obstacles and the installation of a fish ladder to help migrating fish species. Six ponds were removed and two bypassed so that habitats and ecological continuity were restored and better water quality was obtained. Four streams were worked on to restore their natural course. A total of 63 permanent crossing points and watering places were set up to protect streams from machinery crossing during farming or forestry activities or from cattle. Temporary crossing devices were also acquired for use during forestry activities. The project erected 10.5 km of fences to prevent cattle trampling. Riparian woods were restored through the eradication of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) and the planting of trees along 5.4 km of river banks. A new approach to forest management was developed, which takes into account water issues during the preparation of itineraries for wood hauling – by reducing the number of stream crossing points without impacting the profitability of the operation. A strategy was developed to study the potential for setting up purification systems in rural areas, to deal with the issue of poor water quality. However, plans to set up a purification system for domestic wastewater were scrapped because the estimated cost exceeded the available budget. Nevertheless, the work done by the project did help raise awareness among local stakeholders. The project also failed to find efficient solutions to control invasive crayfish species. Different techniques were tested out but none of them were conclusive. The project concluded that it is urgent to put forward research programmes aiming at finding such techniques to control invasive species. Inventories were carried out, leading to an improved knowledge of the four target species, their ecology and biology as well as an assessment of the effects of the activities carried out throughout the LIFE project. The results showed that some of the works had a positive impact on some species or their related habitats. For example, inventories showed that populations of brook lamprey and bullhead had returned into streams after ponds were removed or restored. They also indicated that two populations of white-clawed crayfish were connected again after an obstacle was removed. It was also shown that the densities of bullhead and river trout (host fish to the pearl mussel’s glochidia) had increased following the restoration of two streams. In order to fully assess the impact of the project's actions on habitats and species, monitoring activities will continue after-LIFE. However, it is believed that the project has strongly contributed to diminishing most identified threats in the target area. The beneficiary plans to continue or extend many of the project tasks, having developed management plans for the 13 project sites in the course of the LIFE project. Another key output is a series of technical guidelines that can be used to reproduce the project actions elsewhere. Dissemination activities aimed to raise awareness among different audiences and included demonstration days for the general public and events for forest workers. A seminar organised at the end of the LIFE project attracted 220 participants from 41 French departments and seven other European countries. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).