Work to create a wetland nature reserve at Brearley Fields in Mytholmroyd was completed last month. The project has transformed the former playing fields into a valuable wetland habitat and increased floodwater storage on the floodplain of the river Calder.The wetland nature reserve will work with natural processes to enhance naturally managed flood risks. Many small‑scale Natural Flood Management (NFM) interventions, taken together, can result in a significant amount of water being temporarily stored, or attenuated, during storm events.
Photo: Stephen King
The wetland, on the floodplain of the river Calder, features two large new pondswhich will become a magnet for wetland birds and invertebrates. A temporary pond connected to the river occupies much of the site and will fill and drain as river levels naturally rise and fall. Removing sections of embankment at the eastern end of Brearley Fields and creating a new raised bund separating the wetlands and football pitches, offers significantly improved flood protection to the pitches during periods of high rainfall. The pitches will flood during more severe flood events, performing their important role as a floodplain flood storage area. Floodwater will then drain into the wetlands, passing through reedbed filters, cleaning the water before it re-enters the river. A new footpath significantly improves access onto the fields, and benches provide a spot to rest.
