A free resource maintained by ABPmer
Contact us
ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ
2003
Regulated tidal exchange
United Kingdom
-5.6981385
54.532700
Lagoon
Mudflat
Saltmarsh
1.6 Hectares
Biodiversity Enhancement
Improve Flood Protection
This ‘wader marsh’ at the northwest of the Castle Espie site is a 1.6 ha area of saltmarsh islands and mudflat. Tidal exchange across these habitats is controlled by a tidal flap on the seawall. This area was originally a brackish pool but the freshwater input has now been closed and the sluice now controls the seawater input on a tidal cycle
The WWT reprofiled the islands on this habitat to encourage the establishment of saltmarsh vegetation, and saltmarsh plants subsequently recolonised these areas. The sluice located on the seawall is also part of a predator proof fence and regularly clogs up with drifting vegetation. This is now managed regularly to maintain the continual flow of seawater in and out of the marsh with the tides. This has resulted in a richer invertebrate fauna with a more stable environment.
In the past the marsh was used for flood alleviation, when levels in the freshwater system were high and in danger of flooding path and other infrastructure. This resulted in periods of freshwater shock when large volumes of freshwater were diverted to the saltmarsh. Although this is still part of the emergency flood control plan, careful management has meant this has not been used for a number of years.
This area of marsh and mud to the west is one of three main areas of coastal restoration at Castle Espie. In addition to this, there is a relatively new (0.5 ha) area of saltmarsh and mudflat habitat to the east of the site and a 1 ha saline lagoon in the centre. The lagoon is also a regulated tidal exchange feature. There is also a freshwater lagoon at the centre of the site
The whole of Castle Espie is a Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve on the western shore of Strangford Lough that has been developed on a 19th-century industrial site. Ordnance Survey maps from 1834 show three limestone quarry pits close to the shoreline at the site.
In 1864, the land was purchased by the Murland family with the intention of reopening the quarries and a levee was constructed to reclaim land from the lough. This permitted three further quarry pits to be opened, from which clay and limestone were extracted (Hanna, n.d.). As these pits fell into disuse, they became flooded.
In 2007 the site received funding for a wetland restoration project from the UK Heritage Lottery Fund. This was primarily for the purposes of creating an improved habitat for birds. Today, there is this areas of saltmarsh and mudflat habitat, a saline lagoon, a freshwater lagoon and another smaller areas of marsh and mud to the east
ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ