Case study:Four Rivers for LIFE

Location: 51° 52' 55.20" N, 3° 59' 2.36" W

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Project overview

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Status	In progress
Project web site	http://https://naturalresources.wales/about-us/what-we-do/our-projects/our-nature-projects/4-rivers-for-life/?lang=en
Themes	Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology, Land use management - agriculture, Monitoring, Peat
Country	Wales
Main contact forename	Josh
Main contact surname	Robins
Main contact user ID	User:JoshRRC
Contact organisation
Contact organisation web site
Partner organisations
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	Brecon Weir Modification, Llangloffan Fen Habitat Restoration, Senni Bridge Replacement, Ty Mawr

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Project summary

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Four Rivers for LIFE is an ambitious, large-scale river restoration project to improve the condition of four major rivers in Wales: Teifi, Cleddau, Tywi and Usk. These four rivers are classed as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) which means they are of international importance for their wildlife and plants such as Atlantic salmon, lamprey, shad, otter and water crowfoot. All four rivers are currently in an unfavourable condition as a result of multiple pressures.

A total of 776km of river will be improved in mid and south Wales over the next four years. The project will aim to restore the rivers to a better condition. The rivers support several habitats and species from bogs and floodplains to fish, otter, freshwater pearl mussel and floating water plantain. These habitats and species are all threatened, and some are at risk of disappearing in Wales.

The project will use long term nature-based solutions to improve the ecological quality of the four rivers such as, improving accessibility for migratory fish, improving habitat structure and function, and improving water quality.

Working with partner organisations, farmers, landowners, local communities and contractors the project aims to:

• Improve conditions for salmon, lamprey, shad, bullhead and other fish populations that have declined drastically in recent years.
• Remove constraints to fish migration – improve fish passage at 12 sites, addressing in-river barriers such as weirs and other structures.
• Re-naturalise rivers and restore natural processes – boulder, woody material and gravel re-introduction. Re-meandering, and floodplain reconnection along 5km of river and restoration of freshwater and wetland habitats on 136 hectares of floodplain.
• Plant 50,000 native trees (supplied by the Woodland Trust) along river banks to create habitat, increase shading and establish buffer strips with 100km of fencing, with associated water quality and bank stability benefits.
• Reduce the impact of invasive non-native species such as Himalayan balsam, American skunk cabbage, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed. Trialling Rust Fungus on 8 sites to reduce Himalayan balsam, and working with contractors and volunteers to significantly reduce coverage in 15 sub-catchments.
• Improve land management practices – reducing nutrients and sediment inputs from agricultural land by working with farmers and landowners to promote best practice farming techniques with the aim of engaging 350 farms.
• Habitat improvement over 15km for the critically endangered Freshwater Pearl Mussel.

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information