National & international designations
International Designations Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Ramsar
The Gwent Levels has long been recognised as important for wildlife and this is reflected in its designations, the area alongside the Severn Estuary is designated as a SPA, SAC and Ramsar site as well as SSSI. These designations recognise its importance for species and habitats at a UK, European and wider international level. The estuary’s coastal and intertidal habitats support important populations of migratory and wintering waders and wildfowl, and migratory fish.
Parts of the Gwent Levels are adjacent to the River Usk, a SSSI and SAC. The River Usk is important for mobile species, allowing the movement of migratory fish and otters from the Severn Estuary into the river and its tributaries.
Functional Linkage of the Levels to the SPA features
The saline lagoons, wet grassland and reedbeds on the Levels are used by large numbers of over-wintering birds. These include wigeon, teal, pintail, shoveler, lapwing and black-tailed godwit.
UK Designation Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
The Gwent Levels consist of a series of 8 SSSIs that total 5,856 hectares. They are mostly on agricultural land (arable and pasture) and are one of the most extensive areas of reclaimed wet pasture in the UK, and the largest in Wales, with a wide range of aquatic plants and invertebrates associated with the water in the reens and field ditches.
The importance or qualifying features of the SSSI’s can be categorised under four headings:
Reen and Ditch Habitat: the standing water habitat supporting aquatic flora and fauna.
Plant Species: both individually qualifying species and the assemblage of rare wetland and marginal plant species.
Insects and other invertebrates (aquatic): both individually qualifying species and the assemblage of grazing marsh invertebrates.
The Shrill Carder Bee.
The survival of the aquatic plants and invertebrates is dependent on the sympathetic management of the surrounding land, which is why the land in between the watercourses is included within the SSSI boundaries.
Detailed summaries of the importance of each SSSI, and guidance on consulting (for landowners or tenants on an SSSI) with NRW, the statutory body responsible for SSSIs, can be found on the NRW website naturalresources.wales
Each SSSI has a list of activities that have the potential to damage the site’s special interest. The list can be found using NRW’s designated sites search (bit.ly/NRWdesignatedsitesearch). Before carrying out, or allowing someone else to carry out, activities on that list, it is essential to notify NRW in writing and obtain their consent (bit.ly/NRWsitedamagingactivities).
NRW will also provide advice where more major changes to land use or operations could have possible implications for the adjacent Severn Estuary and River Usk designated sites. For example, fields and watercourses in the Levels may be utilised by wintering waterbirds and other wildlife features included in the SPA and SAC designations.
Land Management Agreements
NRW can enter ‘Section 16’ land management agreements with any person who has legal tenure over a piece of land. These agreements may require a landowner to manage their land in a particular way, for which they may receive payments. In 2021 Welsh Government provided additional funding for these agreements to help get SSSIs into favourable condition, and stated that this will include land in the Gwent Levels (gov.wales/written-statement-taking-action-better-protect-and-manage-gwent-levels).