Deputy First Minister has visited a £580,000 project which aims to
reconnect a Cardiff stream to its historical channel and
floodplain and encourage the reintroduction of salmon, eels and
trout.
The Nant Dowlais - a tributary of the River Ely outside Cardiff –
is currently failing to achieve ‘good' status under the water
framework because of phosphate and a lack of fish.
The main reason for this is the historical legacy of the natural
river course being straightened in the late
19thcentury. This has resulted in natural gravel banks
being eroded with a resultant increase in sediment in the water
but now, a £583,500 project funded by Welsh Government and
carried out by Natural Resources Wales, aims to turn things
around.
It is the largest project of its kind in south Wales and aims to
reconnect the river to its historical channel and floodplain,
having been disconnected and straightened in the past.
The channel has been re-engineered to replicate its original
route, a process known as re-wiggling, which sees more natural
curvature reintroduced to better follow the contours of the land.
This process will add around 200 metres in length to the Nant
Dowlais and the scheme itself will cover more than 750 metres of
channel, restoring it to its natural condition.
New fencing will allow riparian vegetation to flourish and a new
cattle drinking bay will prevent cattle from entering the stream
directly and reduce the risk of erosion to the channel.
A new, free-spanning bridge will replace a failing access
culvert, improving connectivity upstream.
Speaking on a visit to the river, Deputy First Minister with
responsibility for Climate Change, said: “I am delighted when we can fund
projects like this which make a real difference to our rivers and
people's lives.
“We are fully committed to improving water quality and restoring
our rivers. I'm hopeful that the lessons we learn from this
work on the Nant Dowlais can help inform more projects like this
right across Wales.”
McCarthy Contractors – a local company, employed twelve people to
work on the project meaning the money was invested in Welsh jobs
and skills.
David Letellier, Head of south Wales central operations for NRW
added:
“The scale and rate of biodiversity loss across the nation
is accelerating, and we must take urgent action to secure the
future of some of our most iconic and threatened species.
“This ambitious project aims to bring life back into the
Nant Dowlais, while also improving water quality and building
resilience to the impacts of climate change in the future.
This is part of a wider Ely Catchment vision to restore
ecological resilience throughout the landscape.
“This is a great example of how we are working towards our
corporate plan ambitions to become nature positive by 2030.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Governments launch
Independent Water Commission in largest review of the sector
since privatisation | GOV.WALES
