Dredging, navigation and revetment construction • Sediment extraction • Turf cutting • Hay making • Reed cutting • Samphire gathering • Spartina

Turf cutting

Turf cutting is only carried out at a small number of sites in northwest England, usually under licence or some other form of agreement. The process involves the preparation of the turf by the use of reseeding and fertiliser treatment. The practice is designed to perpetuate the short grassy swards which occur in these areas as a consequence of heavy grazing, so that the practice is not directly threatening to the nature conservation of the whole saltmarsh, although it does remove some sediment with the turves. The cut areas do regenerate, but with a different plant community.

It is possible, however, that cessation of this use of the marsh could be followed by improvement of the overall wildlife interest, if stocking levels were also gradually reduced. This could improve structural diversity and lead to a greater invertebrate interest. That is, as long as gradual reductions in stocking levels take place, retaining moderate levels, the overall nature conservation value of the marsh in terms of species diversity and structure could be enhanced.