Somerset Levels and Moors (SLMs) Nutrient Restoration Project

Improving water quality and restoring wetland habitats

Somerset Levels and Moors (SLMs) Nutrient Restoration Project

Improving water quality and restoring wetland habitats

Project title: Improving the Ecological Resilience of Ramsar and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Peatlands to Nutrient Inputs and Climate Impacts on the Somerset Levels and Moors Using Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

Funded by: Wessex Water as part of its obligations under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP)

Location: Somerset Levels and Moors

Dates: June 2025 – December 2029

Project partners: University of Plymouth, Wessex Water, Natural England, Somerset Catchment Partnership, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, RSPB, Moorland Association and Coates English Willow

University of Plymouth staff: Dr Paul Lunt (PI), Dr Rob Schindler, Oscar Kemble and Caroline White

The Somerset Levels and Moors (SLMs) Nutrient Restoration Project is an innovative partnership between the University of Plymouth, Wessex Water and key environmental organisations, funded through Wessex Water's £3.7 billion environmental investment programme (2025-2030).

The project aims to improve understanding of how nature-based solutions (NbS), including peatland rewetting, paludiculture (wetland farming), drainage management, wetland restoration and water-level management, can improve water quality and restore internationally important wetland habitats.

Working closely with landowners and land managers across the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar and Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) sites, the project will investigate how water management can reduce nutrient pollution and improve ecological condition. Automated monitoring systems will measure water quality and water movement across major wetland landscapes, including West Sedgemoor, North Moor and Curry Moor, as well as restoration sites such as Moorlinch, Shapwick Heath and RSPB Greylake.

The project builds on more than a decade of University of Plymouth research funded by Wessex Water and Defra, including peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, postdoctoral research and two completed PhD projects focused on nutrient cycling and wetland restoration.

The project will address several key research questions:

How effective are nature-based solutions at reducing nutrient pollution in heavily modified wetland systems while supporting biodiversity within internationally protected Ramsar, Special Protection Area (SPA) and SSSI sites?
What role do dredging and ditch management play in the movement of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) between sediments, water and wetland vegetation?
How do changes in water levels, flow direction and hydrological connectivity influence nutrient cycling and ecological condition?
To what extent can wetland crops such as reeds (Phragmites, Phalaris and Typha) and willow remove phosphorus through biomass harvesting?
How can wetland management be adapted to improve the ecological resilience of protected sites under future climate change?

High nutrient concentrations from sources such as agricultural fertilisers, livestock farming, wastewater discharges and legacy nutrient stores are causing serious ecological pressures within the Somerset Levels and Moors. These nutrients drive excessive growth of duckweed and algae, reducing oxygen levels and degrading freshwater habitats through a process known as eutrophication. In 2021, Natural England reclassified the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar and SSSI network as "Unfavourable Declining", largely due to elevated phosphorus concentrations and associated deterioration in water quality. Similar nutrient pollution issues now affect protected sites across England, highlighting the urgent need for evidence-based restoration approaches. This project will investigate how nature-based solutions can help restore ecological condition while improving resilience to climate change and supporting sustainable land management.

Dr Paul Lunt
Associate Professor in Environmental Science

The Somerset Levels and Moors cover approximately 70,000 hectares and represent the largest remaining area of lowland wet grassland and wetland habitat in the UK. The area supports internationally important populations of wetland birds, aquatic plants and rare invertebrates and is recognised through its Ramsar, SPA and SSSI designations.

Despite its ecological importance, much of the Somerset Levels and Moors is currently considered to be in unfavourable condition due to excessive nutrient enrichment. Elevated phosphorus concentrations have contributed to widespread eutrophication, resulting in extensive duckweed and algal growth, declining aquatic plant communities and reduced ecological resilience.

Current evidence suggests that phosphorus inputs originate from both agricultural runoff, particularly from livestock farming and fertiliser applications, and treated wastewater discharges. In addition, large stores of historic or "legacy" phosphorus have accumulated within peat soils and ditch sediments over many decades and continue to affect water quality even where external inputs are reduced.

The project findings will support Wessex Water, Natural England, policymakers, landowners and conservation organisations in delivering catchment-scale restoration that improves water quality while enhancing biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable land use.