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Photo: Site visit attendees at our 'Wye Catchment Restoration in Practice' event
The Upper Wye Catchment Restoration Project #RestoreUpperWye is funded by Welsh Government’s Nature and Climate Emergency Fund, part of the Water Capital Programme, to restore the condition of the upper River Wye.
The overall aim of this project is to protect species and enhance habitats by addressing a range of pressures affecting the river.
For more background have a look at our first newsletter: UWCRP Newsletter #1
And now, here's what we've been up to since our first edition....
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 Photos: Visiting Stroud Valleys Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project to learn about different approaches to 'Slow the Flow'.
Earlier this year the team visited Stroud in Gloucestershire to explore some of the many nature-based measures the Stroud Valleys NFM Project have installed to slow down overland flow around the Frome catchment. We looked at sites where:
- Large wood had been felled into streams to form several series of leaky dams. These allow the normal stream flow and wildlife movement, but slow high flows.
- A series of bunds and scrapes down a steep catchment temporarily store runoff, with rough vegetation and tree planting to slow and dissipate flows.
- Old drainage pipes had been removed to bring the water above ground again where it was then slowed by ponds and rough vegetation.
- A straightened, gullied stream had been reconnected with its historic floodplain by breaching the embankments.
- Brash bundles had been placed across a floodplain, spreading the flood flows across a large area and allowing greater percolation.
Individually each measure has a small local effect to store or slow water, but together, the many different measures have a significant cumulative effect. Being natural, they also form great habitats for wildlife, they are quick to install and can be replaced, or added to, at very low cost.
Employing the same ‘little and often’ mantra to slow the flow of run-off in the upper Wye, we're now developing several projects within afforested land in the Welsh Government Woodland Estate that's managed by NRW. The first of these will be in Tarenig Forest on the Upper Wye and Hafren Forest on the Bidno.
 Photo: Identifying Slow the Flow opportunities on the Bidno in the upper Wye
 Photo: Image of a surveyed area for Slow the Flow opportunities.
Past land management here has led to increased drainage of land, and faster flows of water from land into streams and rivers, as well as the original plantings being right up to stream banks.
The same ‘tidy’ mentality that we see elsewhere has also been used in forestry; removing deadwood from rivers, and keeping the banks clear of scrub. This creates the risk that silt from forestry operations and forest road maintenance could get into these watercourses, as well as making the rivers less natural.
Management methods have changed in recent years, with more open land and riverside buffers being created as forest blocks are felled. We are now looking to build upon this by blocking old man-made channels and diverting drains to flow across land rather than directly into streams. We will also add large deadwood pieces into streams where appropriate, and fell self-seeded conifers on the river bank and flood plain. All these techniques will work together to slow the flow of water from the forests, and reduce the speed of water flowing overland in times of heavy rain.
This sort of work has so many benefits beyond just slowing the flow, such as improved water quality, increased wetland habitat for plants and animals, increased shade for better river temperature, and a more varied riverbed for fish.
We're also keen to use these projects as 'demonstration sites' to show others the benefits and how any risks are managed. We will keep you updated with our progress in future newsletters and follow #Bidno and #Tarenig.
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A major part of the Upper Wye project is working with farmers within the catchment (on the main river and tributaries), co-designing and funding schemes on their land that will benefit both the River Wye and the farm business. These schemes could include a wide variety of measures such as:
- Installing fences along river corridors to create buffer zones
- Providing alternative drinking options to remove the need for livestock to enter watercourses
- Planting trees to increase shading of rivers and bank stability
- Installing measures to reduce overland flow, increase infiltration, and reduce soil and nutrient run off
- Improving riparian and floodplain habitats
- Improvements on or around farm yards to reduce diffuse pollution
These interventions can reduce the impacts of extreme weather events, improve water quality and enhance habitat for important species such as salmon and freshwater mussel. Many are nature-based solutions, which can provide long-term benefits to both the environment and farm business by reducing costly inputs.
Our team have been meeting farm cluster groups set up by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to make connections and talk about what we can offer. We've also been visiting farmers to discuss ways we could work with them to benefit the river on their land. Agreements are entirely voluntary and we work with each landowner, tailoring a bespoke agreement that works for them as well as the river.
Some of the ways the actions above can benefit farmers are:
- Simplifying stock management
- Providing better livestock drinking options
- Halting unnatural erosion by stabilising river banks
- Providing shelter and windbreaks for animals
- Improving soil health and reducing run-off
We are currently developing several farm schemes, and all are at differing stages, from early discussions to finalising agreements. We will be expanding this work, so if you own or manage land in our focus areas around the Ithon, upper Wye or Marteg and would like to work with us then please get in touch.
 Photo: A stretch of riverbank on the Wye - poaching and erosion, trees providing shade and bank stability, riverbank fencing providing a protective buffer
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 Photo: Test flying the new drone over the Tarenig Forest
We've taken a major step forward in our efforts to monitor and improve the environment with the addition of a state-of-the-art drone. This new tool will play a key role in capturing footage to assess the impact of our environmental interventions.
One of the exciting capabilities of the drone is its ability to create high-resolution orthomosaic images. These detailed aerial maps will cover large areas such as forests or riparian zones, allowing us to monitor improvements in habitat over the wide area that we are working.
The drone will help us track the cumulative effects of small-scale interventions and better understand how these efforts contribute to restoring the natural landscape and enhancing biodiversity in the Upper Wye.
After a test flight at Tarenig Forest, we can now start to use it for our monitoring work. It's first task will be to collect multispectral orthomosaic images in the areas where we're installing Slow the Flow measures so we can start to assess the changes. We will share drone footage in future newsletters.
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 Photo: American Skunk Cabbage thriving in a wet woodland in the upper Wye
This autumn, we’ve been surveying the upper Wye for Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) of plants that threaten our wetlands and waterways. One species we didn’t expect to encounter is American Skunk Cabbage and we've been alarmed to find it across several tributaries in the project area, and sometimes in large populations.
Once a popular ornamental pond and bog garden plant sold in garden centres, American Skunk Cabbage is now illegal to sell in the UK. In spring, it is easy to identify by its bright yellow flowers (spathes), and in summer, by its large, thick, leathery leaves. A similar (but far smaller) native plant is Lords and Ladies or Arum maculatum. Here's a useful identification guide:
ID_Lysichiton_americanus_American-Skunk_Cabbage.pdf
The plant spreads by rhizomes (creeping rootstalks) and the long-lived seeds are dispersed easily by water. Without natural predators in the UK, it can rapidly dominate wetland habitats, outcompeting native plants and reducing biodiversity. In winter, the plant dies back entirely, leaving behind large patches of bare soil, which are more vulnerable to erosion and soil loss.
This October, we employed contractors to tackle the skunk cabbages found on the Hirnant, a small tributary of the Wye. There are various methods for controlling it, including herbicide treatment, but we were able to remove the plants manually - digging them out completely - thus avoiding the use of chemicals. Afterward, we made sure to carefully clean our boots, as seeds can become trapped in the treads and inadvertently spread to other locations.
We’re planning to return to the Hirnant next summer to continue our efforts and will expand our management of American Skunk Cabbage across other sites in the upper Wye catchment. A big thank you to the landowners for supporting this important work.
If you spot it in the wild, please let us know. You can also report sightings via two apps – iRecord https://irecord.org.uk and INNS Mapper https://innsmapper.org which link to a national database that we can access.
 Photos: American Skunk Cabbage site - before and after management
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Twaite and Allis Shad spend most of their adult lives in coastal waters, but travel up rivers to spawn in late spring. The Wye is one of just a few rivers that supports shad in the UK, and until recently, very little was known about their behaviour and migratory patterns.
During the spring we conducted egg surveys in the upper Wye and lower Ithon rivers to investigate spawning activity of Twaite and Allis Shad. It's generally thought that these fish don’t migrate much higher than Builth Wells in the Wye catchment, so surveying upstream of Builth would help to confirm that and inform our future work in the upper catchment.
At Brynwern bridge on the River Wye, just upstream of the Ithon confluence near Newbridge, we found a large number of shad eggs indicating significant migration and spawning activity. Although our two survey sites on the lower Ithon yielded just one egg, this is our first official record of shad spawning on this tributary.
 Photos: Surveying for Shad Eggs
As we reported in our last newsletter, we also deployed an acoustic receiver in the lower Ithon over the migration period. These receivers detect adult shad that have been radio-tagged. The receiver didn’t detect any shad on the Ithon this year. Thanks to Swansea University for their collaboration on this important work.
 Photo: Collecting the Acoustic Receiver from the River Ithon
Our surveys suggest that shad are preferentially spawning in the main Wye channel rather than migrating into the Ithon. We hope that future surveys will improve our understanding of how this species uses the upper Wye catchment.
The Ithon is one of our priority tributaries where we hope to work with many farmers to deliver practical improvements such as riverside buffers, tree planting and large woody pieces in the river. These will increase shade and river habitat, and bring improvements to water quality, which can only benefit our migrating fish.
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In October, we hosted our inaugural stakeholder event in Llandrindod Wells, attracting over 50 participants from a diverse range of organisations and communities. The event was a valuable opportunity to talk to those living and working in the upper Wye catchment, share progress, and discuss future collaboration.
The day began with Tristan Hatton Ellis from NRW’s River Restoration Team, who provided an overview of the geology and hydrology of the upper Wye, highlighting the differences between the Welsh and English stretches. He then shared insights from ongoing monitoring, covering trends in salmon populations, phosphorus levels, and invertebrates. Following this, the Upper Wye Team presented our planned actions in response to these findings.
 Photos: Presentation and workshop sessions
In the showcase session, we heard from three other organisations working in the upper catchment - Sian Mercer from the Wye and Usk Foundation, Sarenta King from Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, and Geraint Watkins from the Freshwater Habitats Trust. Their contributions emphasised the breadth of effort underway to restore the catchment. Do get in touch if you’d like copies of any of the presentations.
A lively workshop followed, which enabled us to explore the question of how we could all work better together to ensure a legacy of river restoration beyond the life of our project. The discussions highlighted the importance of local engagement and action, with cooperation seen as critical for achieving success. It was also recognised that working together to influence policymakers and advocacy at policy level will be essential to securing lasting change. These discussions provided valuable takeaways for the team to help guide the project.
Making the most of the fine weather, we then ventured out to banks of the Ithon to discuss examples of the challenges and opportunities for improving the river and land around it. Emma Rothero from Floodplain Meadows Partnership (FMP) gave an informative summary of the significance of floodplain meadows, highlighting their rarity, their role as carbon stores, and the ongoing efforts to restore these vital ecosystems; an objective shared by our project and other initiatives in the catchment.
With the insights and actions from this day, we are more committed than ever to delivering the Upper Wye Catchment Restoration Project in the most effective and impactful way possible.
 Photo: One of the site visit group sessions led by Emma Rothero from FMP
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