Policy paper

Lowland agricultural peat: water for peat pilots

Published 31 January 2024

Why peat matters

Peatlands contain over half of England’s terrestrial carbon stores. In their natural state, peatlands play a vital role in trapping carbon and also provide a wealth of wider benefits such as improved ecosystems and biodiversity, better water quality and natural flood management. 

Since the 1600s, our lowland peatlands have been drained of water to create drier soils suitable for conventional agricultural use and food production. In England, only 13% of our peatlands remain in a near-natural state and, in low-lying peatlands (the lowlands), this figure drops to less than 1%. When peatlands degrade in this way, soil is lost, the land subsides, and the carbon once stored in the soil is lost to the atmosphere, primarily as carbon dioxide. 

Lowland peat soils provide some of our most productive farmland. Without a change to how these peatlands are managed, we will continue to lose valuable agricultural soils, leading to loss of agricultural land and greater challenges to food security. In parts of the lowlands, the Climate Change Committee estimate that there is only enough peat soil left to continue farming as we do now for another 20 to 50 years.

What the government is doing

The government is committed to building on the recommendations of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force Report. The report highlighted the importance of transforming water level management and water infrastructure in lowland peat landscapes.

Our best option to return peat to health condition is through rewetting - safely and sustainably raising and managing water levels within the peat soil. However, we need more information on how to best to go about rewetting, and in which areas of lowland peat it is possible and appropriate.

Defra’s lowland agricultural peat policy team, in collaboration with partners, have several ongoing projects exploring paludiculture, socioeconomics and wider research and development. This work, combined with the water for peat pilots, will inform the design of future lowland peat policy.

This will in turn enable farmers to continue to produce food on lowland peatlands and will deliver benefits for drought- and flood-resilience, improvements in water quality and biodiversity and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, helping us on our way to achieving our net zero commitments.

Lowland agricultural peat water discovery pilot (LAPWDP)

13 projects supporting local partnerships to gain understanding of how water can be better managed to rewet and preserve peat soils in these landscapes and collaborate to develop costed water plans. The Environment Agency are delivering this project.

Total funding: £3.1 million

Fenland SOIL

Organisation: Fenland SOIL Ltd.

Details:

• exploring opportunities for a mosaic of lowland peat emissions mitigations
• case study of Pig Water (a key watercourse)
• understanding soil hydraulics of deep, shallow and wasted peat soils
• capturing topographical data in two drainage districts
• understanding the role of ditches and reservoirs in relation to biodiversity

Grant requested: £499,657

Area: Cambridgeshire

Revitalising North Somerset Peatlands

Organisation: North Somerset Council

A study to understand the water dynamics, climate-change impacts, flood risk and water-management regime by undertaking a land-management assessment with costed action plan.

Evaluating financial implications and mapping opportunities.

Grant requested: £450,000

Area: Somerset

Patchy Peat Solutions

Organisation: Harper Adams

To address the required transformational land management through a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach, to identify opportunities and risks at landscape level.

Full economic assessment that quantifies the opportunity cost of land-use change to capture how rewetting peat can contribute to individual farms but wider society.

Grant requested: £415,033 

Area: Shropshire

Humberhead Levels Lowland Agricultural Peat Pilot

Organisation: Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

The project focuses on the technical and economic implications of raising water levels on 7 farms, enabling the farmers to make informed decisions on long-term land use.

The project process and financial implications identified will give a test case to other farms in the wider area, increasing the likelihood of wider uptake.

Grant requested: £341,674.38

Area: Yorkshire

Exploring Wetter Farming Solutions in Alt Catchment

Organisation: Lancashire Wildlife Trust

A field size wetter farming trial, growing Typha. A feasibility study to identify potential areas for wetter farming on the Halsall Estate.

Grant requested: £327,457

Area: Lancashire and Merseyside

Thorne, Crowle and Goole Moor Peatlands - connectivity and hydrological study 

Organisation: Reedness and Swinefleet Internal Drainage Board (IDB)

To develop a strategic approach towards future management for water, leaving the moors with a view for long-term water management of water levels to ensure cross-beneficial needs of peat restoration and flood management.

Grant requested: £264,000

Area: Yorkshire

Somerset Moor Futures

Organisation: FWAG SW

To construct, test and collaboratively develop a model aimed at engagement with landowners and stakeholders in planning local water-level management.

The project will produce field-scale, costed hydrological plans, specifically modelling mosaic land-use change and elevated water tables within each catchment.

Grant requested: £211,383.22 

Area: Somerset

River Hertford Water Level Management Plan  

Organisation: Vale of Pickering IDB

To develop a better understanding of the catchment in terms of water management, with a view to how IDB operations need to change if re-wetting peatlands were pursued.

To run in parallel with a project funded by LAPSIP.

Grant requested: £160,000

Area: Yorkshire

Broads Water level Management 

Organisation: Broadland Abstractor Group

A model approach, creating farm collaboratives to plan and cost new water-management operating systems and to develop costed scenarios and plans to redefine internal drainage networks.

Grant requested: £154,296.47 

Area: Norfolk

Lindow Moss Peatland Mosaic

Organisation: Groundwork Cheshire, Lancs and Merseyside

To produce a landscape-scale mosaic plan to re-wet as much of the Lindow Moss area as possible, taking into account land use, properties, plans of landowners and public desire for enhancement.

Grant requested: £100,239

Area: Cheshire

Putting Peat on the Map

Organisation: Greensand Trust, Bedfordshire

To develop a water-level management plan to bring together those with an interest in peat in the Flit Valley.

To develop our understanding of what peat remains, the condition it’s in and what is needed to protect and sustain it, whilst reflecting the need to balance agriculture with peat-restoration needs.

Grant requested: £73,349.20 

Area: Bedfordshire

Riverlands Bollin - Dunham Peatland Restoration  

Organisation: National Trust, Cheshire

To produce a wider costed water-management plan by undertaking detailed surveys to understand the extent and nature of the peat soils and providing recommendations focusing on the possibilities of re-wetting, associated methods and future management.

Grant requested: £64,667

Area: Cheshire

Alt Crossens Lowland Peat and Groundwater Project   

Organisation: Mersey Rivers Trust

The project seeks to develop a good baseline of evidence and knowledge of the current condition of the lowland peat soils, looking at groundwater and focusing on wetter, unproductive areas of fields.

Assessing the feasibility of raising water tables and improving the resilience of farm businesses and the environment. To explore solutions to investigate if wetter farming is a viable option.

Grant awarded: £54,917

Area: Lancashire

Lowland agricultural peat small infrastructure pilot (LAPSIP)

21 projects supporting the installation of infrastructure and monitoring technology, which will enable more control of water levels for the preservation and rewetting of lowland peat. Delivery of this project is being supported by the Association of Drainage Authorities.

Total funding: £3.8 million

Bourne North Fen Tilting Weirs 

Organisation: Black Suice IDB

The project will install 2 tilting weirs within the catchment, each with associated telemetry, powered by solar energy, to enable fine control of water levels in 2 key watercourses.

The new control structures will enable better water management, including retaining water to reduce risk of the peat drying out.

The project links with the Bourne North Fen Wetland habitat creation, led by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

Grant requested: £171,600

Area: Lincolnshire

Broadland PeatCam Spatial Data 

Organisation: Broads IDB

To install a network of 10 novel peat and water measuring cameras to detect very small, vertical movements in the peat surface.

This will enable tracking of subsidence, shrink and swell (in response to individual rain events), and peat fluctuations due to daytime evapotranspiration.

It will enable a baseline to evaluate the success of peat restoration projects.

Grant requested: £110,655.22 

Area: Norfolk

Harrimere Catchment Automation Project 

Organisation: Middle Fen and Mere IDB 

This project includes installation of solar and wind powered automated penstock and tilting weir structures and a back rake automated weedscreen. Telemetry will be installed to allow for remote monitoring and automation.

Grant requested: £267,200.00 

Area: Cambridgeshire

Littleport and Downham IDB Automation Project 

The project will replace an existing dam structure with an automated tilting weir, incorporating telemetry, improving water management for circa 2000 hectares of peat land with real time monitoring and adjustments of the weir.

The project will also replace a wooden connector dam with an automated gate, with telemetry to monitor water levels either side of the new gate, facilitating precise water level control year-round.

Grant requested: £259,000

Area: Cambridgeshire and Norfolk

Horsey Toll Sluice Replacement Project  

Organisation: Middle Level Commissioners 

The project will replace a manually operated gate with an automated one, incorporating telemetry, enabling the diversion of water into a largely peat based sub-catchment.

The IDB will fully decommission and remove the existing structure. The project aims to support a new water management regime which will benefit downstream land managers working with the Great Fen, Fens 2100+, the Lower Nene Partnership and Fenland SOIL.

Grant requested: £250,000

Area: Cambridgeshire

Cross Guns Pumping Station Catchment 

Organisation: North Level District IDB

The project aims to improve retention of water levels in 2 locations through the replacement of stoplog structures with new twin leaf penstocks. Approximately 50% of the catchment is peat soils (2,733ha) all of which is classified as deep peat.

The project will support the Fenland SOIL initiative aiding contributing to CO2 reduction through changes in agricultural land management.

Grant requested: £55,970.20 

Area: Cambridgeshire

Newborough Pumping Station Catchment

Organisation: North Level District IDB

The project aims to improve retention of water levels through replacing stoplog structures with 2 new twin leaf penstocks or 5 tilting gates. The new structures will both reduce water losses and allow finer control of water levels.

The project will also facilitate access to a third inlet, bringing new water into the catchment during the summer months. Two scheduled monuments will also benefit from this project - a Duck Decoy and an Earthworks Enclosure - both of which are in deep peat areas.

Grant requested: £249,828.70 

Area: Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire

North Somerset Levels IDB Peatland Telemetry Project 

Organisation: North Somerset Levels IDB

The project will install 10 new, remote telemetry stations and 2 new rain gauges that will provide real-time water level information.

This project complements the Water Discovery Pilot also taking place in this area.

Grant requested: £105,600

Area: Somerset

King’s Sedgemoor Water Level Management Improvements in Lowland Peat Areas  

Organisation: Parrett IDB

The project seeks to improve the capacity and efficiency of water management courses in King’s Sedgemoor, supporting greater resilience to summer drought and improving water level control.

Works include replacing existing pumps, removing blockages, installing tilting weirs and culverts to improve water control and distribution, and extending the existing telemetry system to improve understanding of water levels across the catchment. These works will support the local Landscape Recovery project.

Grant requested: £248,050

Area: Somerset

Thorne, Crowle and Goole Moors Peatlands Water Management Infrastructure Scheme  

Organisation: Reedness and Swinefleet IDB

This project will install a series of remotely actuated sluices controlled by a series of telemetry linked sensors that measure water levels. The physical infrastructure to be installed comprises; one tilting weir, 2 fixed dams, 4 culverts with adjustable sluices and 6 telemetry linked water level sensors.

The project also includes improvement and flow reversal works on 2 IDB controlled watercourses. The project is linked with a tandem LAPWDP bid.

Grant requested: £239,792.14 

Area: Yorkshire

North and South Streams Peat Restoration Project 

Organisation: River Stour IDB

Works will include 2 simple stopboard structures, 12 leaky dams and some other critically placed in-channel woody debris. A new feed structure will be added which will allow water to be taken from one of the 2 IDB drains and into a central riparian watercourse channel which passes through the target peatland area.

The project has been developed in close partnership with the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership.

Grant requested: £195,461.10 

Area: Kent

Stringside River Restoration 

Organisation: Stringside IDB

The project is to raise the gravel bed of a watercourse to connect it to the adjacent floodplain, so that water can be fed both onto and off the floodplain. Approximately 8ha of peat soils will be rewetted under these proposals, increasing to 85ha when local projects are complete.

Grant requested: £220,000

Area: Norfolk

Wicken Fen 

Organisation: Swaffham IDB

The project will install a solar and a wind pump at 2 locations, supporting a bunded area to store water. When the main pump is in operation, the 2 renewable powered pumps will be turned on, pumping surplus water into storage lagoons (the lagoons are being built separately under a Nature for Climate Change restoration grant).

The scheme will be delivered in partnership with the Wicken Fen Countryside team.

Grant requested: £157,960

Area: Cambridgeshire

River Hertford Water Level Management Infrastructure Scheme

Organisation: Vale of Pickering IDB

This project will install 2 remotely monitored and controlled tilting weirs, and 2 telemetry outstations monitoring ground water levels. This will allow monitoring of ground water and improved control of watercourse levels to benefit peat. It is linked with a LAPWDP bid.

Grant requested: £249,733.52 

Area: Yorkshire

Bourne South Fen Catchment  

Organisation: Welland and Deepings IDB

This project aims to improve the retention of water by replacing the largest of 4 stoplogs with a new twin leaf penstock. This will allow more sensitive control of water levels and reduce the loss of water which currently occurs through leakage.

Grant requested: £56,729.20 

Area: Lincolnshire 

Deeping Fen Catchment 

Organisation: Welland and Deepings IDB

This project will improve retention of water by replacing 5 stoplog structures with new penstocks and a tilting weir, which will offer better control. The sites are where the existing structures are in the worst condition.

Grant requested: £245,049.20 

Area: Lincolnshire

Increasing the water table with lowland peat soils 

Organisation: Whittlesey and District IDB

The project will install 9 new water controls equipped with solar powered telemetry level sensors. It aims to enhance water level management in the associated lowland peat areas.

Grant requested: £222,152.70

Area: Cambridgeshire

Telemetry – Remote Control and Monitoring and IDB Assets  

Organisation: Woodwalton Drainage Commissioners

The project will install telemetry at the catchment pumping station up to 30 remote water level sensors to allow more informed control of water levels.

The project aims to help deliver improved (higher) water tables in conservation areas supporting peat restoration.

Grant requested: £143,121

Area: Cambridgeshire

Restructuring the Fen with Inlets and Telemetry 

Organisation: Holmewood and District IDB 

The project aims to deliver 3 new intakes and to refurbish a fourth. New solar powered telemetry will also be installed, which will be used to monitor water levels to help guide when the intakes are utilised. The area benefitting is an area targeted for peatland restoration.

Grant requested: £213,290

Area: Cambridgeshire

Tyndells Witham Bankside Drain Tilting Weir  

Organisation: Witham First District IDB 

The project will install a tilting weir mounted within a precast concrete support structure at the confluence of 2 watercourses, allowing differential levels to be achieved.

The scheme will include telemetry and will potentially improve the conditions to 786ha of deep peaty soil within the catchment.

Grant requested: £108,900

Area: Lincolnshire

Engine Drain No.1 Tilting Weir, Nocton Fen 

Organisation: Witham First District IDB 

The project will install an automated tilting weir alongside telemetry to enable better control of water levels within the sub-catchment.

Grant requested: £102,080

Area: Lincolnshire