Join the Nutrient Management Board Stakeholder Group of West Wales

Is the health of our rivers important to you? Are you affected by, responsible for or interested in water quality in the region? If so, then why not join the River Stakeholder Group to help work to protect and enhance the Cleddau, Teifi and Tywi rivers.

The Nutrient Management Boards are seeking new members to establish a Stakeholder Group to support the development of a Nutrient Management Plan for the region of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

By becoming a member of the Stakeholder Group, you can:

• Help restore and protect the health of our rivers.
• Experience new ideas, technology, and learn about mitigation measures.
• Meet with likeminded people and organisations who are trying to achieve the same common goal.

If you are interested, come along to the River Stakeholder Event which will be hosted at the Cothi Suite, Halliwell Centre, Carmarthen on Wednesday, 31^st May 2023 10am-4pm.  A light lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Phosphorus pollution in Wales’s Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) catchments is a serious issue which defies easy solutions, with more than 60% of our most precious SAC rivers failing phosphate targets. West Wales’s Special Areas of Conservation rivers, being the Cleddau, Teifi and Tywi, support some of the country’s most precious biodiversity and are an important source of health and well-being for its communities.

Carmarthenshire County Council are leading Wales in the effort to tackle excess nutrients entering its waterways. Carmarthenshire was the first county in Wales to design a Nutrient Budget Calculator and, along with Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire County Councils, has established a West Wales River Stakeholder Group, which extends across county boundaries and considers all three river catchments.

The issue of phosphorus is not one that can be managed in isolation as excess nutrient loads originate from multiple sources. The solution therefore calls upon the engagement of all stakeholders responsible for such inputs.

About the NMB

The Nutrient Management Board (NMB) is responsible for identifying and delivering actions that achieve the phosphorus favourable conservation target of a river that is deemed a Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), whilst also meeting socio economic needs of its surrounding communities. Three NMBs have been formed in West Wales; the Afon Tywi NMB, the Afon Cleddau NMB and the Afon Teifi NMB.

Cllr. Ann Davies, Cabinet lead for Rural Affairs and Planning Policy said: “The Tywi river, along with the Cleddau and Teifi, is a Special Area of Conservation. It is a precious natural resource to Carmarthenshire and the county’s biodiversity, whilst also integral for the health and well-being for the communities that it flows through and nearby.

“Getting to grips with phosphorus pollution requires a multi-layered approach and I therefore encourage people from various backgrounds, who care deeply about the health and water quality of our rivers, to come forward and play their part in developing a Nutrient Management Plan.”

The River Stakeholder Event will be hosted at the Cothi Suite, Halliwell Centre, Carmarthen on Wednesday, 31^st May 2023 10am-4pm. 

There is an open invitation to all, however, to help plan refreshments please RSVP your intention to attend by contacting Laurel E Carrington, Nutrient Management Officer for Carmarthenshire County Council lecarrington@carmarthenshire.gov.uk