River Ehen

The River Ehen is a river in Cumbria, England. It was designated a Special Area of Conservation in 2005.

The river's source is at the west end of Ennerdale Water: it runs west through Ennerdale Bridge where it is joined by Croasdale Beck (flowing from Banna Fell). Ennerdale Water itself is fed by the River Liza.

The Ehen continues past Cleator Moor and Cleator, where it is fed by the River Keekle, moving southwards through Egremont and eventually running parallel to the Irish Sea which it eventually joins at Sellafield at the same point as the River Calder.

The River Ehen supports the largest freshwater pearl mussel population in England. It is the only river in England to be part of the project Pearls in Peril. The project aims to conserve the species and is funded by the European Union's LIFE + NATURE Programme. It includes 21 sites in the UK. The freshwater pearl mussel relies for part of its life on the presence of salmonids, a group of fish including salmon and trout. The river is a breeding ground for Atlantic salmon. There is widespread poaching along the length of the river.