Biggest coastal flood management scheme completed

Sunrise 8th September 2014 & the high tide enters the newly
created Steart Marshes -
image from The Environment Agency website

JPR Environmental was involved in the UK's biggest coastal realignment scheme to date - a joint project between the Environment Agency and The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Steart Marshes on the Severn Estuary.

The Marshes are important in protecting the surrounding land - this is from the Environment Agency's website:

"Rising sea levels are predicted to result in loss of inter-tidal habitat in the Severn Estuary. Steart Marshes will replace about half of this loss and reduce the flood risk for local communities. Just before 7am on Monday 8 September, high tides entered 250 hectares of low-lying land for the first time in centuries...

Steart Marshes scheme uses the shallow gradient and coarse vegetation of the saltmarsh to absorb wave energy naturally. This will help to protect local villages from storm surges, and protect the newly constructed flood banks from erosion so that they last longer."

JPR planted salt-tolerant plants and erected fencing to protect the plants whilst they become established and colonise the area - forming a new salt marsh.