All inland fisheries habitat restoration works carried out in Wales under our 1st project (2020 – 2021) by work type; Fish passage / Habitat Restoration.
Following from our inland fisheries habitat surveys, priority actions for the restoration of Welsh inland fisheries have been identified.
Issues found include; barriers to fish migration, damaged or degraded riparian habitats (including erosion), over or under shading, invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), damage from livestock poaching or grazing, and adjacent land use problems(such as soil, herbicide, pesticide, nutrient run off), etc.
In 2020, Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales facilitated £1,060,000 of funding for Afonydd Cymru and the Rivers Trust movement in Wales in order to undertake prioritised actions.
Our joint aims throughout this project were to:
• Increase habitat connectivity and quality – both in stream and riparian corridors – through the removal / easement of barriers and the restoration of in stream features.
• Reduce negative impacts to watercourses through riparian fencing – limiting livestock access, reducing localised poaching and erosion and allowing a buffer strip along the water corridor.
|
Action |
Catchment(s) |
Combined benefit |
Expected outcomes |
|
Fish Passage Easement and in stream blockage removals |
Severn, Clwyd, Wygyr, Wye, Usk, Ystwyth, Rheidol, Tywi, Eastern Cleddau, Teifi, Taff, Ebw, & Rhymney |
36 easement projects delivered, or preparatory works undertaken, enabling 452.4km of fish passage over all projects. |
Restoration of in stream connectivity and open river systems for migratory species to access improtant spawning headwaters. |
|
Riparian restoration: Fencing Erected, trees planted. Other forms of habitat restoration are adding in stream flow diversity and substrate (gravel) restoration. |
Thaw, Ely, Rhymney, Tywi, Teifi, Western Cleddau, Dee, Wye, Usk, Conwy, Clwyd, Anglesey & Severn |
72 habitat restoration projects were delivered, resulting in 101.67km of riparian restoration. |
Riparian fencing excludes livestock from watercourse, allows vegetation to grow, adding habitat and connectivity for wildlife, stabilizes the riverbanks, allows dappled shading & the addition of leaf litter. Wide, vegetated riparian zones buffer against run off (soil, nutrients, etc.). |
An example of fish passage easement works:
BEFORE: The large (2.5m) boulder and fallen tree/debris blockage in a gorge just upstream of a rock-ramp easement.
AFTER: The cleared obstruction with boulder pre-barrage in the foreground.
An example of habitat restoration works:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
