River buffers boost Upper Conwy’s climate resilience
The dramatic terrain of Upper Conwy in the north of Eryri may look resilient and rugged but it's very vulnerable to climate change. The landscape is snaked by rivers and increased rainfall means the area is at greater risk of severe flooding. Urgent action has been required to slow the flow of water from the mountains into the rivers, to protect communities and keep the landscape special for future generations.
Making space for water at Carrog Farm to protect villages downstream
At Carrog Farm, at the headwaters of the Upper Conwy Catchment, National Trust reprofiled the river edge. High artificial embankments were removed with heavy machinery to allow the river, Avon Machno, to reconnect with its floodplain. The high embankments had originally protected the land from flooding for agriculture, but now that the space stores water in peak flows, it protects villages directly downstream (such as Llanwrst) from flooding.
Easing steep river banks and removing grazing to store water at Nant Gwryd
At nearby Nant Gwryd, sections of eroded riverbank were reprofiled—steep vertical banks which are easily eroded were scraped to create a gentle angle. This allows high waters to rise over the slope into the floodplain, and be stored in the area. The riverbank has also been fenced off, creating a space buffered from grazing, which has increased roughness on the riverbank and allowed grassland to form, binding soil tightly within root systems, slowing the flow of water, and preventing further erosion. Trees were also planted on the hillsides to slow the flow of water coming off the mountainsides.
Additionally in the catchment, together with partners, National Trust has restored over 2500 hectares of peatland, ensuring that water is held in the upper catchment for longer, improving its ability to store carbon and alleviate flooding downstream
