Teifi Demonstrator Programme

Overview

The Teifi Demonstrator Project is a collaborative initiative set up to address the water quality challenges facing the River Teifi and its catchment.  This project brings together a partnership of over 20 key organisations aiming to find innovative environmental solutions.

We will look to improve water quality, enhance the river's resilience to climate change, and boost its biodiversity by exploring new ways of working together. By learning from the successes within the Teifi catchment, we intend to scale up an approach to be applied to other river systems across Wales.

News

Nov 2023 Tackling the Teifi – landowners, industries and regulators join forces for pilot ‘demonstrator catchment’ project

Feb 2024 Hackathon event seeks innovative solutions to Teifi pollution problems

Why the Teifi?

The Afon Teifi is one of our nine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Rivers in Wales, designated due to the rare species it supports, including lamprey, Atlantic salmon, otter and floating water-plantain.

It meanders 122km through three local authorities - Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire - as well as through National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Unfortunately, areas of the Teifi catchment are in an unfavourable condition, and recent research has indicated that salmonoid fish stocks are in rapid decline. More information on what is causing these problems can be found in the Teifi Demonstrator Project Evidence Review.

Despite these problems, the Teifi catchment is recognised as one of the catchments within Wales where there is greatest opportunity for improvements in the water environment that also improve the well-being of Welsh communities. Through the Teifi Demonstrator Project these opportunities will be realised and used to improve rivers across Wales.

Key Organisations

Current Work

The Teifi Demonstrator Project is currently involved in numerous actions to improve the Teifi catchment (Lead organisation/s in brackets):

• Teifi Catchment Restoration Plan (West Wales Rivers Trust and Natural Resources Wales)
• Tenant Farm Pilot ( Ceredigion County Council)
• Nature Based Solutions Pilot (Ceredigion County Council)
• Private treatment works data pilot (Natural Resources Wales)
• National Environment Programme (AMP8) implementation (Dwr Cymru Welsh Water)

Living Teifi - People and Nature Together

Alongside the current actions taking place in the Teifi catchment, a core group of organisations from the Teifi Demonstrator Catchment partnership are applying to the National Lottery Heritage Grant scheme, to fund a transformative initiative: Teifi Fyw (Living Teifi).

The partnership will be supported by a range of other stakeholders including, community based Mentrau; local schools, universities and farming groups.

Through a series of integrated and targeted landscape-scale interventions –
spanning the entire catchment from the source of the river at Teifi Pools down to the sea in Cardigan Bay – we will:

• reduce the negative impact on the water environment caused by historic mines, degraded river and flood plain, and pollution from rural land use.
•  monitor and record change through participatory approaches involving local communities and businesses, and create a catchment that is ready and welcoming to funding streams which support rural business.
• collaborate with communities to enhance access to outdoor spaces, improving connection to nature and celebrating cultural heritage for the benefit of all.

Activities and Reports

Teifi Demonstrator Project Evidence Review

Teifi Water Quality Dashboard 

Partner organisation activities and reports

People's Plan for the Teifi - West Wales Rivers Trust

Teifi Nutrient Monitoring Dashboard - Ceredigion County Council