The River Ehen is a river in Cumbria, England. It is a designated Special Area of Conservation.
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 if 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.[1] It is also a breeding ground for Atlantic salmon.[2] As a result there is widespread poaching along the length of the river.[3]
Sellafield has previously used water from the River Ehen for cooling on the site, but ceased this operation in the 1990s.