Elan Valley’s £200,000 restorative blanket bog work at Claerwen National Nature Reserve has been used as a case study of positive restorative work at the COP26 conference in Glasgow.

The peatland restoration project, led by the Elan Valley and funded by National Resources Wales, covered a 70-hectare site. The restoration sought to re-profile erosion gulley margins as well as raise water levels within the erosion gullies and more widely across the peat. This was successfully achieved with the implementation of low level elevation contour bunds.

The project was achieved through a section 16 agreement with the Elan Valley Trust who manage the site. It was delivered in partnership between the Elan Valley Trust National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP) through one of Natural Resources Wales (NRW)’s largest section 16 agreements to-date.

The project was successful and yielded a complete application for Peatland Code validation as well as funding support for ongoing sustainable management of the area. This was facilitated by the Welsh Peatlands Sustainable Management Scheme (SMS) Project, funded by the Welsh Government between 2008 and 2021. The site, located near Claerwen in the Elenydd uplands of the Cambrian Mountains, is deemed “the most remote site restored in Wales to-date” and was successfully restored by utilising a 5km gulley and 2.5km of contour bunding.

The results of the restoration are a predicted net reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of 261 tCO2eq/year.

The land also has increase water retention and an increase in biodiversity has been recorded with the detection of – feathery bog-moss Sphagnum cuspidatum and bottle sedge Carex rostrata.

Dr Ieuan Joyce, chair of Elan Valley Trust said: “We are extremely proud of the work carried out at Claerwen National Nature Reserve. The restorative works were undertaken in the harsh winter months on difficult to access terrain. We are pleased to see the efforts of the partnership approach taken here at Claerwen showcased as a case study at COP26 and we are hoping to look at further peatland restoration in the Elan Valley using the same approach.”

The scheme is part of the Elan Links, a Heritage Lottery funded scheme, which aims to secure this heritage and boost the opportunities available in the Elan Valley for the future. In total, 26 projects will be delivered between 2018 and 2023 under three themes of heritage, visitor improvements and enhancing the nature of the area.