Wetland Restoration

Since 1996 SWT's agenda has been developed to aid and complement the wetlands work of the Environment Agency's biodiversity team. In the 1990s much of our effort was centred on species recovery plans for the Otter, Water vole and White-clawed Crayfish. Since 2001, the emphasis has switched to landscape-scale, catchment-wide conservation. Water for Wildlife, Staffordshire Washlands, OnTrent, Cannock Chase Streams of Life, Farming Floodplains for the Future, Tame Valley Wetlands, the Central Rivers Initiative, Wetland Vision (West Midlands Meres & Mosses) and Farming & Water provide excellent frameworks for our much of our wetlands biodiversity work. More recently a pilot project called Headwaters has been set up in the Churnet, Swarbourn and Stour river catchments with part-funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. If successful, we plan to roll Headwaters out to eight additional catchments in 2012.

SWT is currently involved in a number of campaigns and innovative management techniques including: river rehabilitation, river "braiding", river island creation trials, natural flood management, engineered log jam trials and spate management.

Shallows created at Croxall lakes to benefit waders (left) and a Sand Digger Wasp also seen at Croxall Lakes on a sand bar created as part of "river braiding"(right).

 

River management is entering a new phase: one where watercourses are given the space to choose their own pathways and channel shapes. By learning lessons from the past -and minimising human impacts on watersheds- future generations will enjoy healthier, cleaner and more interesting rivers that support a wider range of wildlife.

Further information on our recent rivers and wetlands' work can be found in the drop down menu under publications at the top of this page and also to the right of this page.

Contacts:

Nick Mott, Senior Wetlands Ecologist n.mott@staffs-wildlife.org.uk

Matt Jones, Wetlands Officer m.jones@staffs-wildlife.org.uk

Headwaters is part-funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.