Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve

The site was chosen by Cardiff Harbour Authority, which manages Cardiff Bay, to create an important new environment from the previous salt marsh, and to help compensate for the loss of the Cardiff Bay mudflats. on the left]] Edmund Nuttall Ltd. won the GB£120,000 contract to build the Reserve, and work was completed by the end of November 2003.}} After the Wetlands Reserve was constructed, tonnes of debris had flowed down from the River Taff and collected near the reserve, so in 2003 Cardiff Harbour Authority built a 450-metre floating boom to prevent debris from entering the reserve.

Wetlands are a transitional habitat between water and land; they provide an important habitat for many bird, fish, animal, and plant species. The Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve can be found near St David's Hotel close to Mermaid Quay. Prior to the construction of the Cardiff Bay Barrage, this area was made up of mudflats and salt marsh. The wetlands reserve was created in the new freshwater lake. The reserve is a biodiversity hot-spot within Cardiff Bay. The reedbed, a UK Biodiversity Action Plan habitat, along with other aquatic plants, are very productive vegetation. A number of bird species including common reed buntings, reed warblers, and sedge warblers, use this habitat in which to…

A footpath crosses the reserve from St. David’s Hotel to the Yacht Club on the River Taff. At the end of this footpath, a boardwalk goes out into the water, allowing good viewing across the Reserve, and also provides a good spot for watching the fish shoaling in the shallow waters. Although public access is not permitted onto the main body of the reserve, this is to allow excellent breeding and feeding conditions to develop for the species present. It is possible to view many bird species from the public area with the naked eye, and binoculars will allow an even better birding experience. Also visible is a floating boom that surrounds the reserve. Under conditions of high river flows on the…