Widnes Salt Marsh

View of the old bridge from the salt marsh

Sunshine at last! Armed with my sunglasses and wellies I was fully prepared for what the urban salt marsh in widnes had to offer! Arriving at The Waterloo Centre in Widnes at around 10:30 we were welcomed by Damian Smith who specialises in the ecosystem services the salt marsh provides.

What is the salt marsh?

Salt marshes can be defined "as intertidal areas of fine sediment transported by water and stabilised by vegetation. Once a cover of vegetation has become established the rate of sedimentation (accretion) frequently increases as more of the incoming sediment is intercepted and trapped by the increased surface roughness" (JNCC)

Or more simply... "A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open salt water or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated by dense stands of salt-tolerant plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs"

Widnes salt marsh
The salt marsh is located on the banks of the Mersey estuary. The map below shows its location.

The site is currently in its third year of conservation grazing using English Longhorn cattle. Research by Damien Smith (who showed us around) is being undertaken regarding its effectiveness in terms of improving the ecology of the site for plant and bird diversity. Last year a pair of Redshank and a pair of Lapwing reared chicks in the grazed area. Six fenced enclosures also show the positive effects of the grazing.

The Mersey Gateway Project

Special tape to prevent birds from nesting in the area

The Mersey Gateway is a new bridge that will be constructed over the estuary to bring about much needed traffic relief for the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge. Whilst construction of the bridge may bring damage to areas of the salt marsh a new charity - The Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust - which has been created to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the environment across a 1600 hectare area of the Upper Mersey Estuary running all the way from the new bridge up river as far as Warrington.
This project not only aims to maintain and restore the saltmarsh habitat but also promote the ecosystem services the site can provide.

Ecosystem services
"Ecosystem services are the processes by which the environment produces resources utlilised by humans such as clean air, water, food and materials"

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment categorised ecosystem services into 4 groups

1. Supporting - The services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services including soil formation, photosynthesis, primary production, nutrient cycling and water cycling. 
2. Provisioning - The products obtained from ecosystems, including food, fibre, fuel, genetic resources, biochemicals, natural medicines, pharmaceuticals, ornamental resources and fresh water;
3. Regulating - The benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes, including air quality regulation, climate regulation, water regulation, erosion regulation, water purification, disease regulation, pest regulation, pollination, natural hazard regulation;
4. Cultural -  The non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation and aesthetic experiences – thereby taking account of landscape values;

Industrial works near the salt marsh

During the construction of the bridge and after it has been completed the charity hopes that the saltmarsh will provide many ecosystem services to the local communities such as - Provisioning - in the form of meat and dairy from the cows that graze the site, water for cooling industrial processes occurring near the site, and immobilisation of pollutants, Regulating services such as climate regulation via carbon uptake,and water purification from surrounding industrial processes with also Cultural services such as wild fowl hunting and leisure such as hunting/running - helped with the introduction of wooden boardwalks to the site. Whilst all changes would also see an increase in the richness of diversity of the site.

This project shows how other large scale constructions should take place. Research into the surrounding environment should be pivotal in negotiations to mitigate the damage caused.  

The shore line

Plane flying over the site

Damien Smiths research paper can be found here

The Mawndir Mon Project

Seeing as the LIFE project has come to an end, I was fearful that the Anglesey fens may start to deteriorate once more! However, a £73,000 grant from Natural Resources Wales will fund scrub removal from three sites Cors Erddreiniog, Cors Goch and Cors Bodeilio, each of which I visited during the LIFE conference. Its good to see that these habitats will be maintained as not only are they rich in biodiversity, they also help improve drinking water quality of the Cefni reservoir as well as reducing flood risk! Let's hope more funding will come for these amazing habitats.

Some more information including PDFs with detailed work to be carried out can be found here

Ecoscience Day

Teaching teenagers about the values of wetlands sounds thrilling doesnt it?

Well, surprisingly it was. Especially when they were actually enthusiastic about what you were telling them. I almost felt like a scientist

We had four set ups to help teach the kids;

The first was teaching them about the composition of wetland soil. A tray of peat soil and a tray of common garden soil were used to contrast the differences. After putting on latex gloves (which the kids seemed to love) they were able to feel the two soils and then make soil slurries in polystyrene cups. The slurries were then used to measure the pH and conductivity - primarily to show the differences in nutrient availability between the two.

The second was a variety of carniverous plants that can be found in wetlands. The smaller plants were placed in clear plastic boxes with lids so we could feed flies to the plants. The kids could then see how the plants obtained nutrients from the flies - trapping them - then digesting them with enzymes.

The most technical of the displays was a constructed wetland (created by Wayne Watkins). Using peat and sphagnum moss we passed dirty water through the "wetland" to show how they can be used to purify water. 

The kids were also told about the role of wetlands and the nitrogen cycle and the carbon cycle. With the use of a simple board we could show the kids the carbon cycle (which many were learning for their GCSEs) and show them where wetlands slotted into the cycle. Overall it was a great two days! Hopefully we inspired them to continue with science and also keep in mind the importance of wetlands!

 

Cefni Resevoir & Cors Bodeilio

As part of the MSc we are learning about the benefits of constructed/treatment wetlands. Natural wetlands provide many ecosystem services with a major one being natural biofilters removing excess nutrients from water ways. A treatment wetland can be developed with aims of removing pollutants from waste waters via sedimentation and uptake through the wetland plants.

This field trip started at the Cefni Reservoir, which is a small reservoir in the centre of Anglesey managed by welsh water. The small rivers and streams entering the Cefni have been identified as potential areas to create mini-constructed wetlands. These wetlands could help improve water quality entering the reservoir and also improve areas for biodiversity.

To determine where the constructed wetlands would be best placed water samples were taken from each of the inflows, where they would be taken back to the lab to be tested for pollutant levels. (This was done prior to our field field trip by experts, we also took samples to get a feel for the process).

Different constructed wetland systems would be more efficient at removing certain pollutants/excess nutrients than others...

Free water surface system (FWS)

Sandec/Eawag depiction of a FWS

A FWS constructed wetland allows water to flow above ground, exposing the water to the atmosphere and direct sunlight. Meaning there are aerobic and anaerobic zones for the complete removal of Nitrogen from the system (one of the main pollutants entering the Cefni reservoir). 

Moving to the other side of the reservoir we estimated the flow rate of one of the streams into the reservoir using a very high tech method, which involved a spade, pipe, bucket, jug and stop watch. A small dam was created with the pipe through the middle (as seen in the picture on the left), a small amount of water (around 1L) was collected from the outflow using the jug at timed intervals - which could then be used to calculate the flow rate.

Cors Bodeilio
After discussing potential treatment wetland ideas to help purify the water entering the Cefni Reservoir we travelled to Cors Bodeilio which we had previously visited during the LIFE Conference - a blog post on that can be found here. The LIFE project aimed to restore the delicate fen habitat at Cors Bodeilio with aims to restore the peatlands not only for carbon storage but also to store and purify water, before releasing it at a manageable rate to provide drinking water to Cefni reservoir.

There are a number of constructed wetlands at Cors Bodeilio that remove the nutrients from the surrounding farmlands to prevent eutrophication of the natural fen habitat. These wetlands have however been subject to subsidence and more funding is required to restore the wetlands to full working order - which is key for maintaining the delicate fen.

Day out with CEH

As part of my MSc I have to undertake a research project with a company partner. My partner is the Center of Ecology and Hydrology (CEH). My project will focus on green house gas emissions from peatlands. Britain’s peatlands hold most of our terrestrial carbon stock, and play an active role in climate regulation through uptake of carbon and emission of methane. Much of this resource has been impacted by land-management activities, such as drainage, burning and intensive agriculture, and the protection and restoration of UK peat lands is crucial. To measure gas emissions from different areas at Cors Erddreiniog (blog post here) columns were inserted into ground - which a gas measurement machine (Los Gatos) can be placed on to measure the gas flux. I went out with a few of the CEH crew to set up some of these columns - placing them in areas of the site with different management techniques and then trying to stick them in the ground with minimal disturbance, for which the GHG flux could be measured over the summer when I start my project!

Wetlands... sent from above?

It's no secret that our weather is getting worse, this time last year we were blanketed by a thick layer of snow, and now we are facing the third brutal storm in less than a month. Both events are abnormal for the UK, could climate change be to blame? Chief MET scientist Dame Julia Slingo that "all the evidence" is pointing toward climate change as an explanation for the extreme weather.
With rain continuing to batter the UK causing chaos pretty much everywhere, is there anything that could be done to reduce the catastrophic effects of the worst floods we've had in decades?
Well thankfully, David Cameron has come to the rescue with the gallant statement "Money is no object in this relief effort. Whatever money is needed we will spend it." So worry not, everything that has been damaged in the record-breaking deluge will be fixed or replaced... until next time.
The main methods currently in place to reduce flooding include;

Dredging - A process where silt is removed from a river bed to increase it's water capacity. The method is costly and potentially harmful to the environment.

Flood Barriers - Temporary demount-able lightweight metal structures that are used to keep rising water levels at bay.

Look pretty don't they? Sure they work, but they are a temporary solution to a more permanent problem which needs to be addressed. Funny how the leaders of this country only begin listening to people when disaster strikes. Speaking on a visit to Purley (a severely flooded town on the River Thames) Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "It's clear that flood defence needs to be more of a priority for government. If there's one thing we know about the effects of extreme weather, it is that the costs, financial, human and other costs, of not acting are much greater than the costs of acting, and it is a totally false economy to say, 'Don't act'."


The government needs to start acting now listening to scientists who suggest natural flood management systems, as prevention is always better than a cure.

The welsh government is planning to invest £20m into flood control, but how exactly would this help? The Minister for Natural Resources, Alun Davies, has broken it down like this...

• £7 million for flood defense improvements to protect 627 homes and 72 businesses in Crindau, Newport 
• £6 million for river management works and improvements to tidal defenses to reduce flood risk for 387 homes, 52 businesses and the fire station in Roath, Cardiff 
• £1 million to fund the replacement of flood defense walls that will help protect 127 homes, 15 businesses and the main road through Penclawdd, Swansea
• £1 million for improvements to tidal embankments along the Severn Estuary to reduce the flood risk to part of the M4 motorway, 833 houses and 197 businesses in Portland Ground and Tabbs Gouth, Newport 
• £5 million to improve existing flood defense walls that will help protect 166 homes, 102 businesses, the fire station and ambulance station in Dolgellau, Gwynedd

Replacement, improvement and management of man made defence systems seem to be the key words in this list but could this investment be put to better use elsewhere, for example in conserving and improving wetland systems?

Could wetland systems be a natural way to prevent flooding?

A joint statement prepared by English Nature, the Environment Agency the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Forestry Commission state that

Drainage of floodplains is a relatively recent historic phenomenon. For example, the Somerset Moors were largely untouched before 1200, and systematic drainage of large areas did not get underway until about 1770. By the 1930’s only a quarter of historic floodplain wetlands remained in England, mainly in the form of periodically flooded grassland and grazing marsh. The vast majority of natural floodplain woodland has also been lost.

Somerset has been severely affected by the recent floods, would there have been a different outcome if the Somerset moors weren't drained all those years ago? Probably.

Wetland systems are often undervalued in the UK, peat-lands alongside rivers can act as natural sponges trapping water during periods of heavy rainfall. Wetland vegetation slow the speed of flood waters distributing them slowly, reducing erosion and flash flooding. In areas where peat-land has been drained in favour of agriculture (Somerset Moors) the risk of flash flooding, much like we've seen in the past month, is increased.

Preserving and restoring wetlands, together with other natural practices such as the re-introduction of the Beaver into the UK (BBC article here) can provide a valuable level of flood control which should be taken into serious consideration if the government want to prevent flooding in the future.

Pumlumon Gully Mire

Pumlumon is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales, and forms an SSSI containing areas of gully mire and blanket bog, which both contain PEAT! As all of us wetlanders should know by now - as an ecosystem peatlands are extremely important as long term stores of carbon. Globally, peatlands are large sinks of carbon (C) storing up to 550 Gt of C, with northern peatlands storing around 455 Gt C (1 gigatonne is equivalent to 1 peta gram (Pg) = 1015 g). With continuing rises in CO2 emissions it is important that peatlands are properly managed/restored in order to mitigate climate change.

Pumlumon can store flood waters. Source: www.montwt.co.uk

This aim of this field trip was to collect peat samples that could be analysed back in the Bangor lab. Two samples were collected; the first, from an area that was drained in the past by Freeman et al., (1997) who diverted water flow, to stimulate drought conditions, and the effect they would have on the nitrogen cycle within the wetland. The second sample was taken from below at a control site that was untouched. Unfortunately I was unable to attend this field trip, but was told it was extremely cold and very wet, and had my samples collected by Joe! These were then taken back to the lab where we would analyse them for our Lab Reports.

Work to preserve the area

The Pumlumon Project is a flagship project lead by the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust aiming to preserve and protect the site which stretches across 40,000ha of the Cambrian Mountain range. The project has eight main aims;

The work can be described as having eight elements:

1. Carbon Storage - Rewetting of peatland by blocking ditches to improve their condition and promote carbon storage via slow decomposition.
2. Reconnecting habitats- Creating links between habitats (corridors) to allow plants and animals to spread between different areas that may have been cut off by roads or farmland.
3. Storing flood water - Improving bog conditions to allow better storage of water to prevent floods downstream,
4. Bringing back wildlife - Aiding recovery of species with specific work targeted at the must vulnerable species.
5. Changing grazing patterns - Introducing more cattle, and reducing sheep numbers to help promote varied landscape, as well as helping farmers diversify with conservation-grade, slower growing hill beef.
6. Recreating habitats - Restoring degraded habitat and creating new habitats with a mixture of traditional farming techniques and new technologies to increase wildlife interest.
7. Developing Green Tourism - Providing better and more appropriately sited accommodation, visitor centres, websites, leaflets and signs, to increase people’s understanding of the aims of the project, and also increase visitor spending in the area and the incomes of local people.
8. Involving communities - Working with local communities to identify and implement projects to improve their local environment. To help diversify local business and help increase local incomes, we will help to set up some local value-added food schemes linking tourism businesses with local farmers.