RiverSevern

RiverSevern

Welshpool

Newtown

LlandrindodWells

Living Landscape

Area Shrewsbury

A5

A5

A53

A483

A458

A470

A470

A44

A44

A483

A49

A49

A458

A458

E N G L A N D

The Severn begins as a bubbling mountain spring in the heart of the Cambrian mountains. It gathers volume as it tumbles down through the rain-soaked hills. Throughout its 220 mile journey across Wales and England it is joined by several sizeable rivers, including the Vyrnwy, Wye and the Usk.Several times, following heavy and prolonged rain, the River Severn has overflown its banks flooding places where thousands of people live and work. At the heart of this flooding was land use changes taking place in our uplands, development on our floodplains and modification of the river and river corridors over the years. This has all had an adverse effect on our wildlife such as kingfishers, sandmartins and otters.

Flooding

Sustainable river management for people and wildlife

Gwarchod Natur ar gyfer y Dyfodol Protecting Wildlife for the Future

The response was all too often multi-million pound engineering projects, building concrete barriers to prevent flooding. However, this may have made the problem worse. Clearly long term, less costly and more positive solutions must be found.

Therefore, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust (MWT) are working with working our partners to restore and recreate wetland habitats and floodplains across the whole catchment. In turn, this should help vital ecosystem services such as reduction of flooding, improved drinking water quality and rebuilding the beautifully interconnected biodiversity of the river and its catchment.

However, the vast majority of floodplain along the River Severn is farmland and the wet grassland habitats result from historic agricultural management. Therefore, wetland habitat restoration on the extensive scale envisaged depend upon generating widespread support and commitment of the farming community. MWT are focused on offering three key services:

• Viableeconomicincentives• Realisticobjectives• Soundmanagementguidance

River dip Kingfisher

Source to Sea Living Landscape

Gwarchod Natur ar gyfer y Dyfodol

This Living Landscape brings together the combined skills and resources of nine Wildlife Trusts along the course of the River Severn. They are already planning and implementing exemplary projects, at various scales, that contribute to this big vision for the River Severn. They recognise that by working at this landscape scale we can provide the conditions for wildlife to thrive in the future. If nature is to survive it needs to be given space to live and grow.

VisionTo create a diverse and sustainable landscape within the River Severn catchment where wildlife thrives, landowners prosper and flooding incidents are significantly reduced. This Living Landscape will encourage a deeper cultural appreciation of the rivers and their association with people’s lives.

Environment Wetlands are one of the world’s most threatened habitats; a natural strategy for the River Severn would boost the future chances of many wild plants, birds, mammals and insects. MWT are already working on the restoration of over 100ha of floodplain. Now the vision is to restore 2,700 hectares of land to create a mosaic of fen, marsh, wet woodland, saltmarsh and wet grassland. Plants such as cuckoo flower, ragged robin and marsh marigolds will return and birds including redshank, snipe, skylark will have a place to sing and breed.

MWT are also working on to restore 40,000ha of peat bogs at the source of the Severn. Peat bogs provide us with natural flood storage, soaking up water like a sponge. Keeping them wet not only helps slow down rain-runoff it is also a vital part of tackling climate change. When peat bogs are in good condition, tonnes of carbon are locked away. The Wildlife Trusts have shown that through practical demonstration and sustainable land management is good for wildlife and reduces the risk of flooding. This also meets Water Framework Directive targets.

Red shank

Falls onRiver Severn

SocialOur natural fascination for wildlife is important in its own right too. For many years the Wildlife Trusts have worked to encourage a deeper cultural appreciation of the rivers and their association with people’s lives. We will continue with this work within the Source to Sea Project.

MWT and its partner organisations aim encouraging people to explore wetlands and take a closer look at what can be offered. Community and stakeholder engagement is key to all of the work undertaken.

EconomicMWT are working with farmers to achieve significant economic benefits for farm enterprises that also achieve environmental outcomes. They are working with farmers to diversify into wildlife tourism and niche food markets, as well as being paid to manage floodplains to soak up water.

MWT believe that cattle provide many of the solutions. Skillfully managed cattle grazing can restore and maintain a varied landscape with richer wildlife. Their hooves break up the turf improving water permeability and creating places for wild seed to germinate, while the grazing habits of cattle can prevent tougher plant species dominating. The marketing of conservation-grade, slower-growing hill beef can provide new high value income for farmers.

The promotion of the agri-environment schemes to farmers in the key wetland restoration zones has achieved significant gains in wet grassland re-creation. Improving wetland habitats will support rural tourism, especially angling, bird watching and walking, thereby boosting the local economy. Beautiful landscapes and charismatics wildlife draw visitors; the richer the environment the stronger the draw.

Key Partners:TheSevernRiversTrust,VisitWales,Natural Resources Wales, BIFFA and partner Wildlife Trusts .

Source to Sea Living Landscape

Protecting Wildlife for the Future

Join Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

42 Broad Street, Welshpool. Powys, SY21 7RR

01938 555654 info@montwt.co.uk

www.montwt.co.uk