2. Improve the wildlife and biodiversity of our rivers.

Restore all Welsh rivers to good ecological status. We will achieve this through continuing to identify and deliver improvements to Welsh rivers. Vital to this is the strategic partnership we have with NRW, funded through the Welsh Government, to identify and rectify issues such as habitat damage or obstructions in our catchment rivers. We will also be proactive in raising the profile of our endangered wildife and biodiversity in our rivers. We will be working on conservation of these areas to protect and conserve species under threat.

  • Protect/ conserve / raise awareness of the following species within our catchment at serious threat from climate change & water pollution:-

    Arctic Charr – Specialist Dr Antony Smith to develop a programme to restore and protect existing populations of native Charr in Snowdonia. Raise awareness of this rare species through education, egg hatching, working with Dwr Cymru on water quality and putting pressure on the first Hydro in Llanberis to address the mistakes made to the new spawning gravels. Raising awareness.

    European eel – Through awareness and targeting elver and silver eel migration obstacles.

    Red List- Salmon & Sea Trout - Look at funding to revisit and update current and historical spawning grounds. Where can we put in mitigation within the catchment and what are the barriers?

    Freshwater pearl mussel – centred on the Eden ( SAC) looking to build on previous work. Working with the NRW Freshwater pearl specialist.

  • Restore natural processes and habitat for the benefit of wildlife and biodiversity. This will include in river work to improve spawning grounds, habitat and riparian strips along our rivers. In river work such as boulders, woody debris, gravel traps.

  • Plant trees alongside rivers to increase shading to build resilience against climate change and keep invasive species down..

    Program successful: Average river temperatures do not increase.

  • Using river corridors and river channels to link orphaned habitats through hedgerow and tree planting.

  • Natural Flood Management: Improving bank erosion.

    Open Rivers- Remove man-made barriers to migration to allow fish to migrate freely.

    Identify weirs that are no longer in use and causing a barrier to fish migration.

    Removing barriers such as weirs to increase spawning grounds.

  • Easements - restore natural processes and habitat for the benefit of fish.boulders, trees, gravel traps etc

    Rewiggling rivers