Edit project overview: Case study:Rye Harbour Farm Regulated Tidal Exchange

Please enter a description of the project: Regulated Tidal Exchange is the regulated exchange of seawater to an area behind fixed sea defences, through engineered structures (e.g. sluices, tide‐gates or pipes) to create saline or brackish habitats. This regulated tidal exchange project involved a combination of Working with Natural Processes (WWNP) and traditional measures to manage flood risk and create/restore habitat on the Sussex coast at Rye Harbour (Map 1). * A secondary defence bund to protect low-lying communities * Non-intervention shingle primary defence within a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) * Creation of a tidal exchange to provide an intertidal habitat area landward of the primary defence * Creation of a large tidal creek into the site to provide an important area of saltmarsh, creeks and intertidal mud (Photo 1) * Saline lagoons and vegetated shingle created * Coastal grazing marsh and ponds created on landward of the secondary defence In November 2013, a tidal surge entered the habitat creation area, providing a large area of tidal storage, which was then gradually released via the new creek. The habitats are robust enough to respond positively to tidal changes and also provide a large area where water can be harmlessly stored. The shingle beach is part of the Dungeness SAC and is Europe's largest area of coastal vegetated shingle. The huge diversity of plants and invertebrates makes this one of the country's most important sites for wildlife.

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