Coastal habitats are declining and being lost at an alarming rate due to sea level rise and pressures on the land from intensive agricultural practices, land drainage, and development.  These habitats, including saltmarsh and grazing marsh, are highly important as they act as natural coastal defences, dissipating wave energy and allowing the coast to respond more naturally to changes in sea-level.

Saltmarsh and grazing marsh are nationally important for migrating birds and contain specialised plants, invertebrates, molluscs and fish.  Wildfowl on these habitats is very diverse, including lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew; ducks, waders, and internationally important populations of wintering Bewick's and whooper swans.

Hard engineering of coastlines such as sea walls are expensive and hold the line against changes in sea-level.  This squeezes habitats in front of the defence and is only a short term solution to the problem.  ‘Managed realignment’ is the term used to describe the deliberate breaching of current defences to allow flooding to a new line of defence, landward of the present structures.  It is a more natural and sustainable approach to coastal protection and creates new habitats which benefit wildlife.

Twelve hectares of low-lying fields adjacent to the River Torridge at Landcross, North Devon are an example of a very successful ‘Managed Realignment’.  The bund protecting two fields was breached and the land steadily changed from grassland to saltmarsh and rapidly provided a prime habitat for wildfowl and other bird species.  The landowner is very satisfied with this habitat creation and the dramatic increase in the number of visiting birds.  

This work was funded by DEFRA and this source of funding is still available as a positive incentive for habitat creation for the wider benefit for wildlife and conservation.

If landowners are interested in visiting the saltmarsh creation at Landcross, please contact:

Tom Hynes, NDCCS.  Email: tom.hynes@devon.gov.uk or phone: 01237 423655

• Please also see the Coastal & Floodplain Grazing Marsh Project page