Case study:Sir Maesyfed Salar 2012 (SMS 12)
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Project overview
Status | In progress |
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Project web site | http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/sms12.php |
Themes | Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Land use management - agriculture, Water quality |
Country | Wales |
Main contact forename | Stephen |
Main contact surname | Marsh-Smith |
Main contact user ID | |
Contact organisation | Wye & Usk Foundation |
Contact organisation web site | http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/ |
Partner organisations | |
Parent multi-site project | |
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects |
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Project summary
This project is a triumph of persistence - the successful bid to the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) was third time lucky. Sir Maesyfed Salar 2012 (SMS 12) will restore the habitats of tributaries in the non- convergence area of Powys and Monmouthshire, including the river Elan.
The Elan presents an unusual challenge. Having been impounded for Birmingham's water supply since 1901, the river has progressively lost its supply of bedstone and gravels. Floods have washed gravel out of the river but the dams have prevented any replacement. On top of that, low compensation flows have allowed what spawning beds there are to become compacted. These two problems have confined salmon spawning to just a few remaining areas. The plan is simple: gravel will be taken from the entrance to the reservoirs upstream and placed immediately below the dam. Sites where compaction is limiting spawning will be loosened with techniques we successfully pioneered in 1994.
The other aspect of the project is to restore natural salmonid habitat by fencing and repair of erosion. Work will focus on the Ithon, its tributaries and other Radnorshire streams. Fencing out Radnor's massive stock of sheep and beef cattle will mean that streams that have lost all their vegetation will again have alder stands that stabilise some of the worst erosion and bank loss. The budget is £ 470,575 and the project will last for 2 years. We anticipate completing 30km of river improvement, along with gravel replacement on the Elan.
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Catchment and subcatchment
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Project background
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Reasons for river restoration
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Supplementary InformationEdit Supplementary Information
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