Essex Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Harwich Haven Authority have joined together to deliver a two-year project to protect coastal communities from flooding, alongside creating habitat for key wildlife species. The project is part of a £25-million programme funded by the Environment Agency.

Together, the partners will be delivering the Blackwater Estuary Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment (BUDS) Natural Flood Management (NFM) project commencing later this year.  

The process involves using material dredged by Harwich Haven Authority as part of their regular maintenance of the channel to Felixstowe port and recycling sediment that would typically be disposed of at sea. BUDS allows the sediment to be recycled back into nature, creating natural replenished sediment beaches in the estuary. These sand and gravel banks will act as coastal buffers for flooding and mitigate coastal erosion. 

With the project area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protected Area (SPA) and Ramsar Site (an internationally-important wetland), it is hoped that beach nesting birds such as ringed plover and little terns will also benefit from the new habitat.

The project will help to protect 25km of coastal flood defence, 406 hectares of coastal flood plain grazing marsh and 240 hectares of coastal saltmarsh as well as the tourism and boating centres of Tollesbury and West Mersea.

Visit the BUDS website for more information

Adam Nixon, Coastal Recovery Officer for Essex Wildlife Trust, says:

“Storms are becoming increasingly more common and sea level rise is on the way in the not-so-distant future. It’s vital that we explore different and innovative ways to protect Essex residents and the counties coastal areas. It is often forgotten that wildlife also face these same challenges. This project will also create new, safer habitat for beach-nesting little terns, oystercatchers and ringed plovers to nest upon with less risk of their eggs being washed out by high tides. It’s great to be part of a project that benefits both humans and wildlife in equal measure”

Sarah West, CEO, Harwich Haven Authority, added: 

“As a trust port, we are committed to preserving and protecting the environment, operating sustainably and collaborating with partners to improve and mitigate our impact on the local area. We are delighted to partner with RSPB and Essex Wildlife Trust on this innovative project that will both benefit and futureproof coastal communities living along the Blackwater Estuary.”

James Dunn, Senior Project Manager, RSPB, added:

“We’re really excited to be working with our partners to deliver such an ambitious project, that will help to protect coastal communities from flooding, whilst providing valuable new habitat for beach nesting birds such as amber-listed little tern. These habitats are particularly susceptible to sea level rise and more regularly occurring storms as a result of climate change and it’s important that we do everything we can to help protect and restore them. This project is particularly innovative as it makes use of dredged sediment that would be otherwise be deposited at sea for beneficial purposes.”