Farmers along a Conwy river have begun fencing waterways and changing livestock access as part of a project aimed at improving water quality and strengthening wildlife habitats.
The work is taking place along the Afon Eidda, a tributary of the Afon Conwy, where the Uwch Conwy project has been working directly with tenant farmers to make practical changes on the ground.
Led by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and National Trust Cymru, the project has focused on farms bordering the river, where pollution risks are highest during grazing.
Funding from the Nature and Climate Emergency fund has supported five National Trust tenants to create a 3km riverside corridor and install alternative livestock drinking systems.
Fencing has been put in place to prevent animals entering the river, reducing damage to the riverbed and limiting nutrient inputs from dung that can harm water quality.
The changes are designed to protect watercourses while allowing farms to continue productive grazing, with livestock accessing clean drinking water away from the river.
Within the fenced corridor, trees and shrubs are being allowed to establish, helping to stabilise banks, reduce erosion and slow runoff during periods of heavy rain.
These tree-lined corridors also help link up fragmented woodland, improving movement and shelter for wildlife across the farmed landscape.
Some sections have been planted with broadleaved trees by children from the local school in Ysbyty Ifan.
The project has also included work at Eidda Pastures Site of Special Scientific Interest at Ty Uchaf Eidda, a rare flower-rich meadow that has been carefully managed by the tenant farmer and previous generations.
This is the only site in Eryri where melancholy thistle grows, alongside other scarce species such as globe flower, wood bitter vetch and several orchids that support pollinators.
Fencing the river at Ty Uchaf Eidda allows ponies to graze the meadow to control rushes and coarse grasses, creating conditions for these rare plants to thrive.
Sarah Aubrey, senior environment officer for Conwy, said: “This work is a great example of how collaboration can deliver real benefits for nature and farming.”
“By improving water quality and creating connected habitats, we’re helping wildlife thrive while supporting sustainable land management,” she added.
Dewi Davies, Uwch Conwy project manager with National Trust Cymru, said partnership working had been central to progress.
“Partnership working has been at the heart of this project, enabling National Trust Cymru, Natural Resources Wales and tenant farmers to protect water quality whilst creating healthier, more connected habitats across the Conwy catchment,” he said.
Discussions are now under way with landowners and tenants further downstream to extend the riverside corridor to the confluence with the Afon Conwy.
River restoration in the area is also being supported through Ffermio Bro under the Sustainable Farming Scheme pilot, which works with farmers on measures such as fencing watercourses, natural flood management, upland grazing, woodland creation and regenerative farming.
The Uwch Conwy project forms part of the Welsh Government-funded Water Capital Programme, which supports river restoration and water quality improvements across Wales.
