Bunging up the bogs
The Exmoor Mire Restoration Project
More than a quarter of a million pounds is to be spent restoring the boggy places on Exmoor’s uplands. The aim of the new Exmoor Mire Restoration Project is to re-wet drained moorlands and bring wildlife back to bogs, fens and upland streams.
The Exmoor National Park Authority has appointed a new officer to lead the project. Dr. David Smith will be working in partnership with the Environment Agency, English Nature, and South West Water building on a successful pilot project on Authority owned moorland. Over the next 3 years the new project will spend £256,000 on habitat restoration to improve the hydrology and ecology of upland peatlands (blanket bogs and valley mires) on Exmoor.
The National Park Authority pilot sites will become a showcase for the project as it is extended onto privately owned moorlands in the Exe catchment. The many benefits of the work will include:
Fighting global warming and climate change Worldwide peatlands are huge carbon stores, but damaged areas release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere through oxidation processes. Restoration halts oxidation and promotes active peat growth thus increasing the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. The restoration of peatlands could play a major role in mitigating against atmospheric CO2 rises.
Restoring important habitats The restoration work will improve the ecological condition of important Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s) benefiting wildlife in the moorlands and the wider Exmoor area. This will help to achieve targets set by Government for the improvement of SSSI condition and for the conservation of habitats and species identified in the Exmoor Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).
Re-establishment of natural stream hydrology in Exmoor headwaters Encouraging water retention in the upland wetlands will delay and weaken peak river flows while augmenting low base flows at times of low rainfall. This will help reduce erosion and flooding risks.
Gains to instream environment and aquatic ecology Improvements to the natural flow regime will improve water quality, with gains to all river life including salmon and trout which are common in the headwater reaches of rivers that drain Exmoor. As a protected species, the Atlantic salmon has a particular status which is enhanced further by the interests of fishermen.
Plans for the next phase of ditch blocking at the Authority owned Blackpits and Exe Head sites are already drawn up and work will start this autumn. Various blocking methods will be used including peat bunds, wooden dams and Heather bales. The blocks will be no higher than 1m to avoid creating deep water pools. Shallow pools are best for the promotion of bog moss (Sphagnum) growth. Heather and purple moor grass (Molinia) bales will be used to fill the deeper pools behind the ditch blocks. This will create a safer environment for stock, walkers and horse riders.
The overall aim of the work is to promote the regeneration of moorland and bog vegetation. The repaired ditches will become overgrown by mire plants and eventually no longer be visible. In this way the moors will be “stitched” back together, removing the scars of drainage ditches and the damaging effect these have had on rivers downstream of the moorlands. Once the water table begins to stabilise, a wider variety of plants will be able to grow on the moors, particularly in the areas dominated by moor grass.
Commenting on the work, David Smith said: “This work will be of great benefit to moorland biodiversity in Exmoor for the enjoyment of all. The land will continue to be used for grazing cattle, sheep, Exmoor ponies and deer and these will be essential in maintaining the moorland in good condition.”