Natural Flood Management & Wet Woodland Creation

Hi, I'm Sam and I'm hoping to make a natural flood management solution happen here on the River Elwy 

At Glanllyn Farm, I am situated a short distance up river from St Asaph, and we are planning on contributing our largest field to this project to help make a real difference - I want to help reduce flooding and the destruction it causes to local homes, habitats and small businesses.

I'm proposing to deliver an environmentally sustainable, long term solution to the affects of localised flooding in the face of climate change, while also working to address the biodiversity crisis.

With an increased number of storms and heavy rainfall experienced each year, I believe that we can help our community by creating a flood basin in our farms largest field, where flood water can be held back to help slow the flow. 

My vision is to help:

~ My local community - our homes and mental health

~ Small businesses affected by flooding and flash floods

~ Nature and biodiversity recovery as we need to reverse the loss of biodiversity. 1 in 6 species are at risk of extinction here in Wales. I want to create a species rich floodplain meadow and plant a wet woodland habitat within a flood water basin.

The Project Overview

Creating a 24 acre flood basin with a diverse mix of flood meadow plants will help to store water at peak flood times as well as lock away carbon all year round. It will also help to reduce river pollution, by filtering water during flood times. Planting an area of wet woodland habitat within the basin will further help with the filtration of river water, as well as slowing the flow and creating urgently needed habitat for a whole host of species.

I have support and encouragement from local water engineers, the few NRW representatives I've been able to show around the farm, our local MP, St Asaph Flood Group, NFFN UK and the team behind Conservation Without Borders.

Let's lead the change we need to see

As this sort of project is needed more and more throughout the UK, contributing a large area of land on a relatively small farm - changing its use from conventional farming methods to an environmental project - means our small business needs funding support to help to make this happen, and to be an example and study area of how farmland can help communities and nature. Changing the purpose of this field requires support, as this sort of change in farmland use is out of the ordinary. I believe we can all bring something to the table to help in this climate crisis.

I feel we have to be the change that our planet and it's communities and future generations need. With your support and funding help, we can demonstrate how working with nature is a long term and sensible solution to a devastating problem, which will see investment used wisely.

Project Details

The first stage and cost estimate of this project:

Assessment – Assess the catchment to quantify the potential storage benefits of lowering part of the riverbank and field to allow storage in to the proposed site.

£6,000 (includes £1,000 for topographical survey)

Admin Support – Water Engineers to liaise with NRW and submit FRAP and obtain all required permits.

£2,000

Design – Based on the results of the assessment, design a suitable scheme taking in to account there be no adverse effects on other habitat, neighbouring properties or businesses.

£5,000

Next stage:

Raise funding to deliver the design - Once we have a design and the permits approved, we can set about getting costs for the construction stage.

Construction – Appoint a suitable contractor to carry out the works in accordance with design drawings. 

Final stage:

Planting and sowing - the beautiful bit and you can help here also planting the trees

Please email me with any questions of for more information [email protected]