Wetlands
Why the New Forest freshwater and wetland habitats are special
The New Forest is one of the most important areas for freshwater wildlife in Britain. The mires, bogs, ponds and streams, along with the wet heaths, wet grasslands and wet woodlands, are among the Forest’s most precious qualities.
They form part of the New Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and are a key reason why large areas of the New Forest are also protected under international legislation.
In terms of wetland habitats, the New Forest supports one of only four significant sites of bog woodland in the UK, as well as one of the six best sites of riverine woodland. Together with other scarce wetland habitats, the Forest also contains the most extensive lowland valley mire systems in north-western Europe.
These wetlands are special because they’re surrounded by heathlands, woodlands and grasslands, which are maintained by commoning – a traditional form of land management where grazing animals like ponies and cattle are turned out onto the Forest.
This clean, unpolluted landscape leads to high-quality freshwaters. In the New Forest, they are home to wildlife and plants which have long since disappeared from other parts of England, such as the sundew, bog pimpernel, tadpole shrimp and southern damselfly.
Why some wetlands need restoring
In the past many streams and mires in the New Forest were modified and straightened to help water run off the Forest more quickly.
Over time, this can affect the health of rare wetland plants and wildlife in a number of ways.
Draining mires more quickly means that peat and rare mire habitats are lost. Straightening shallow, meandering streams leads to faster flows and more erosion, so that channels become deeper and wider over time.
There’s also more chance of flooding downstream. Wetland habitats along these streams, like wet woodland and wet grassland, are affected too.
These habitats rely on seasonal flooding to keep them in good condition but deeper channels and spoil banks (left along the side when ditches were dug) have put a stop to that.
Climate change is making these problems worse. The UK is experiencing more extreme weather events, with hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters predicted in future.
How HLS is helping
HLS funding is helping to restore the New Forest’s freshwaters and wetlands to improve the condition of these internationally-important habitats.
Various techniques are used to restore wetlands, like filling in drainage ditches and returning straightened streams to their natural curves and meanders.
There are other benefits, too, as restoring the mires not only protects these special habitats but also means they continue to act as a carbon sink.
The slower-moving streams are interacting more naturally with their floodplains, meaning more water is stored during heavy rainfall, as well as making the area more resilient to winter floods and summer droughts. The restoration works should also help reduce the impact of flood risk downstream.
Over the past few years, Forestry England has been working with the New Forest Freshwater and Wetland Restoration Forum on a new wetland management strategy for the New Forest. More information about the strategy and forum can be found here.
UK River Prize
The restoration of the mires and streams by Forestry England led to it receiving the UK River Prize.
The work helped to stabilise the landscape and improve how water moves through it. Erosion at key pressure points was reduced, meaning channels were less likely to deepen or widen in damaging ways.
Watercourses were better connected to their natural floodplains, allowing water to spread out more naturally during wetter periods which not only reduced the risk of sudden, high flood peaks but also helped to store water within the landscape.
As a result, the restored areas became more resilient in dry conditions too, retaining moisture for longer and supporting habitats even during periods of drought.