Nation.Cymru staff
A project to improve water levels at Wales’ largest lowland fen has won a prestigious engineering award.
Specialist amphibious machinery was used to clear the two-kilometre Glan y Wern Canal at Crymlyn Bog near Swansea, allowing water to move more freely through the wetland.
The work, carried out through Natural Resources Wales’ LIFEquake project, received the Chair’s Award at an Institution of Civil Engineers awards ceremony.
Clearing the historic, hand-cut canal posed particular difficulties because it runs through the centre of the bog, where deep layers of waterlogged peat move underfoot.
Operating heavy machinery on this unstable ground was a significant challenge, and NRW said the site’s conditions had previously made successful clearance seem unlikely.
The completed work allows water levels to be managed more effectively, creating better conditions for peat-forming mosses and other wetland plants.
Peatlands store carbon, help regulate water levels and provide habitats for wildlife. Keeping the peat wet is essential to maintaining those functions.
Gareth Thomas, LIFEquake project manager, said: “This award is also a significant achievement for nature conservation. Engineering awards often recognise large-scale construction projects, but in this case specialist amphibious machinery has been used to restore a valuable natural habitat and give nature the best possible chance to recover.”
Mr Thomas also praised the contractors involved.
“We’re thankful for the effective working relationship we have with our contractors and we are absolutely delighted to have co-delivered such a significant outcome for Crymlyn Bog,” he said.
“It means a great deal that this work has been recognised as an example of best practice by leaders within the engineering profession.”
LIFEquake is co-funded by the European Union and supported by the Welsh Government. It focuses on restoring rare “quaking” bog habitats, named after the movement of their waterlogged peat underfoot.
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