Partnership project to restore three rivers in South East Wales gets underway

The South East Rivers Restoration Project has been launched to lead a partnership approach to restoring three rivers in the south east valleys.

Developed with the South East Rivers Partnership and the River Restoration Centre, a five-year project strategy has been put into place which sets out the steps to achieve catchment restoration.

Led by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the project will deliver several interventions that will help protect, enhance, and restore the Rivers Ebbw, Rhymney and Afon Lwyd.

It will also improve the resilience of river corridor habitats, delivering multiple benefits for local communities and the wider environment.  

The project will focus on:

• Improving floodplain connectivity by restoring natural river processes
• Reducing the impact of Invasive Non-Native Species (e.g. Himalayan Balsam, Giant Hogweed).
• Creating and restoring habitats along each river corridor (e.g. wet woodland, floodplain grassland)
• Working with farmers and landowners to help reduce sediments and nutrients from entering the rivers, improving water quality.

The project is part of NRW’s National River Restoration Programme and complements the wider work being carried out through other projects to restore Special Area of Conservation (SAC) rivers in Wales, such as the rivers Usk and Wye.

This river restoration work will also complement the ongoing fisheries work programme; the Inland Fisheries Habitat Restoration partnership grant scheme, and the Salmon for Tomorrow Programme, delivering fish passage and habitat improvement.

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs said:

The South East Rivers restoration project will make a significant change to three of our valuable river ecosystems. 

I will be following the progress of this work closely, as this multi sector approach will hopefully deliver benefits across many areas.

Steve Morgan Head of South East Wales Operations said:

We’re really pleased to see this collaborative project get underway, which will develop and deliver catchment scale restoration to 2030 in support of our vision of people and nature thriving together.

Using nature-based solutions, the project will aim to improve the ecological status of the Rivers Ebbw, Rhymney and Afon Lwyd and support nature's recovery, building resilience to climate change and minimising pollution.

By targeting action at this scale and taking an integrated partnership approach, I look forward to seeing the wider long-term benefits and opportunities this project offers for nature and people.

Gwyn Teague Chair of SE Rivers Partnership said:

This project will play a key role in improving the Rivers Ebbw, Rhymney and Afon Lwyd in addition to river corridor habitats associated with each. The South East Wales Rivers Partnership is pleased to be able to offer its support to the measures included and to the positive work being carried out.

The South East Rivers Restoration project is funded through the Welsh Governments Water Capital Programme, which supports a number of environmental priorities including river restoration, metal mine remediation, fisheries and water quality.