WWT today welcomed the publication of the proposals for the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study. However, chief executive Martin Spray also emphasised the importance of a comprehensive environmental assessment of each proposal:

“We absolutely support the use of sustainable, renewable sources of energy so it is interesting to see which schemes are being considered. WWT has submitted information to the government as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment and continues to offer our unique expertise on wetlands and their wildlife. We strongly urge the greatest care to be taken to properly assess the environmental impact of each of these proposed schemes.

“The Severn Estuary is a very special place and an internationally important haven for wildlife. Since WWT has been based on the shores of the Severn Estuary for more than 60 years we have amassed a wealth of ecological and environmental information regarding the ecology of the region.”

The Severn Estuary has numerous designations for wildlife importance, including being a Ramsar site, an EU Special Protection Area, a candidate EU Special Area of Conservation and the surrounding area also contains a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It supports internationally important numbers of overwintering birds as well as being a stopover point for many migratory species on their journeys. The estuary contains unique habitats and is an important migratory run for a number of rare fish species.

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For more information contact Mark Simpson in the WWT Press Office on 01453 891138, or email mark.simpson@wwt.org.uk
www.wwt.org.uk

Key facts
Environmental facts

The estuary has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world, up to 12.5m.
The estuary supports approximately 200km2 of inter-tidal area.
The extent of mudflats has been estimated at 23,000ha.
The River Severn has the highest water flow of any in Britain.
The estuary is fed by major rivers including the Avon, Wye and Usk.
The estuary is classified as hypertidal due to its classic funnel shape, high tidal range and strong tidal currents.
The river flow, tidal range and sediment loads are continually changing producing a dynamic ecosystem.
Ecological importance
The estuary was designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) by supporting populations of European importance of:

Bewick’s Swan – Overwintering
Curlew – Overwintering
Dunlin – Overwintering
Pintail – Overwintering
Redshank – Overwintering
Shelduck – Overwintering
Ringed Plover – Passage
The estuary also supports internationally important (i.e. more than 1% of the international population) of:

Mute Swan – Overwintering
The estuary also qualifies under the SPA designation by regularly supporting more than 20,000 waterfowl.
The average number of waterbirds is in the region of 70,000.
The estuary also supports eleven species in nationally important numbers:

European White-fronted Goose
Wigeon
Gadwall
Teal
Shoveler
Pochard
Ruff
Black-tailed Godwit
Curlew
Redshank
Lesser Black-backed gull
The Severn Estuary has been submitted formally to the EU for designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive. The area is considered to have a high diversity of species and habitats of European importance:

Twaite Shad
River Lamprey
Sea Lamprey
Atlantic salt meadows
Estuary
Mudflats
Sandflats
Sandbanks
Reefs (Honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata)
All these habitats and species are threatened within a European context.
Under criteria used to designate a Ramsar site the Severn Estuary qualifies under:

Immense tidal range affecting the physical environment and biological communities.
Unusual estuarine communities with a reduced diversity (except fish) but high productivity.
Important for the sea run of migratory fish between the sea and the river.
Important for migratory birds during spring and autumn.
Diverse fish species with over 110 recorded.
Regularly supports more than 20,000 overwintering waterfowl.
Regularly supporting five species in internationally important numbers: Bewick’s Swan, European White-fronted Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Dunlin and Redshank.
The Severn Bore

The Severn Estuary is one of only about 60 estuaries in the world (one of 8 in the UK) which support a bore.
The highest wave generated by the bore was 2.8m in 1966.
A wave of 1m is not unusual.
The bore has been measured at speeds of more than 20km/hr.
Notes to Editors:
1. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is a leading UK conservation organisation saving wetlands for wildlife and people across the world. With over 60 years experience of wetland conservation, WWT is committed to the protection of wetlands and all that depend on them for survival.

2. WWT operates nine specialist wetland visitor centres in the UK that are visited by some one million people every year from around the world. The centres provide a place to walk, relax, learn, and get closer to nature. Over 60,000 children benefit every year from educational visits to a WWT centre.

3. In total over 2,000 hectares are managed by WWT, including seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), one Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI), six Special Protection Areas (SPA), Part of one Marine Nature Reserve and six Ramsar sites, supporting over 200,000 waterbirds.

4. WWT members enjoy free access to all nine visitor centres and are kept up to date with developments through a quarterly magazine.

WWT welcomes the England Wetland Vision, which was launched at the WWT London Wetland Centre this week by a partnership of English Heritage, Environment Agency, Natural England, RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts.

The Wetland Vision looks forward 50 years to a future where freshwater wetlands full of wildlife are found across the urban and rural landscapes, and where they are valued by society for the services they provide. Our Wetland Conservation team has been closely involved with the development of the Vision and contributed to both the technical development of the Wetland Vision and setting it’s future potential direction.

There is considerable overlap between WWT’s objectives and those of the England Wetland Vision. WWT has high hopes that the Wetland Vision will amplify the results of our wetland work from our centres and elsewhere in England.

From the Blueprint for Water coalition www.blueprintforwater.co.uk
Water companies should use their current planning and expenditure review as an opportunity to provide better protection for the environment and tackle rising prices for water customers. This is the message that an influential group of environmental and angling organisations will present to Environment Minister, Phil Woolas, at an event hosted by Martin Salter MP in the House of Commons today. The water industry is currently planning its activities and expenditure for 2010 to 2015 [1].

The Blueprint for Water coalition [2] is calling for large-scale water efficiency projects to reduce demand for water, coupled with initiatives to stop pollution at source.

Nearly two billion pounds has been spent in the last five years on energy intensive treatment processes to make drinking water quality acceptable for consumers. Investment now in action to improve water quality at source will save the public money in the long term. As the price of energy bills rise there is a real need for the planning review to consider fair pricing for water.

“We can’t go on for ever just building our way out of trouble”, said Tony Burton Director of Strategy and External Affairs at the National Trust. “We need to reduce the amount of water we waste and stop pollution getting into the water in the first place. This will secure our future water supplies at less cost to the public, and at the same time secure much-loved rivers and wildlife sites across England and Wales.”

“Tackling pollution at source by changing the way land is managed offers a better deal for both customers and the environment.”

The Blueprint for Water is also calling for a rapid move to universal metering. Jacob Tompkins, Director of Waterwise said, “the current way in which we are charged for water regardless of how much we use is increasingly unfair. England is lagging behind almost every country in Europe.”

Action is also needed to address the rising demand for water, water wastage and the impacts of climate change on our freshwater ecosystems.

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For further information contact:

Chris Philpot, Waterwise media manager Tel: 020 7957 4615
Mark Lloyd, Anglers’ Conservation Trust, Director Tel: 07973 468198
Robin Clegg, WWF press Officer Tel: 07771 818707

Notes to editors

[1] 2009 Periodic Review of Water Prices (PR09)
Plans for water industry investment are set every five years through negotiations between water companies and Ofwat, their economic regulator, with guidance from the Government. The next review has now begun and provides a crucial opportunity to:

- take forward large-scale water efficiency programmes;
- tackle water quality problems at source through catchment management initiatives that offer many benefits for biodiversity and the environment ; and
- protect nationally and internationally important river and wetland sites by amending or revoking damaging abstraction licences and taking action on water quality.

[2] Blueprint for Water is a campaign of Wildlife and Countryside Link and is supported by a unique coalition of nature conservation, angling and water efficiency organisations concerned with the health of our water environment, including:

- Anglers’ Conservation Association
- Association of Rivers Trusts
- Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
- Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
- Marine Conservation Society
- The National Trust
- Pond Conservation
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
- Salmon & Trout Association
- The Wildlife Trusts
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
- Waterwise
- WWF-UK

3. Per capita water consumption has increased by 30% since 1970. This has resulted in 500 rivers, lakes and wetlands in England being classified as “at risk” of damage from excessive water withdrawals.

4. More than 50% of public water requires treatment to control pollution from agriculture at an annual cost of over £200 million.

5. Over 70% of our rivers are too contaminated to support a sustainable population of salmon.