Wild Wetlands

Functioning and healthy wetland slow and store water within the landscape and increase the resilience to extreme weather events for both wildlife and people

Natural Flood Management (NFM) is a way of reducing flooding that works with nature rather than against it. It offers a range of different techniques to help slow and store water upstream, in order to reduce flooding downstream. NFM doesn’t just offer benefits for flooding - it also helps to enhance nature and provides a multitude of other natural capital benefits.

How to Build a Leaky Dam

NFM Guidance Document

Leaky dam and pond at Costells Wood
Sam Buckland
Restoring keystone species like Beavers to their historic range

Beavers are natural ecosystem engineers, which help so much with natural flood management and water quality, were hunted to extinction in the UK in the 16th Century. Beavers are extraordinary hydrological engineers, able to build leaky dams and lodges, and create channels and deep pools. This activities provide natural flood management benefits, as well as maintaining a base flow of water in drought conditions.

The extinction of Beavers has had a profound effect on their former surroundings, and the health of our aquatic ecosystems. The Beaver re-introductions will use the natural instincts of a native animal as a tool for restoring important wetlands. At least 80% of the UK’s natural wetlands have been damaged or destroyed in the past, and in Sussex it is probably closer to 95%. Wetlands are some of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, and are fantastic carbon sinks, helping to buffer us against climate change too.

Time Δ Debug Message - Perch Runway 3.2
1783469127.42740 [906] SELECT p.pagePath, pr.routePattern, pr.routeRegExp, p.pageTemplate, pr.routeOrder, s.settingValue AS siteOffline FROM swt_pages_staging p LEFT JOIN swt_page_routes pr ON p.pageID=pr.pageID LEFT JOIN swt_settings s ON s.settingID='siteOffline' UNION SELECT NULL AS pagePath, pr2.routePattern, pr2.routeRegExp, pr2.templatePath AS pageTemplate, pr2.routeOrder, NULL AS siteOffline FROM swt_page_routes pr2 WHERE templateID!=0 ORDER BY routeOrder ASC, pagePath ASC
1783469127.46620.0388Matched page: /get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands, so not using routes.
1783469127.46630.0001Server address: 216.73.217.142
1783469127.46640.0001Using master page: /templates/pages/project.php
1783469127.46670.0003 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' LIMIT 1
1783469127.47540.0088 [86] SELECT DISTINCT settingID, settingValue FROM swt_settings WHERE userID=0
1783469127.47750.002 [1] SELECT locationID FROM swt_shop_tax_locations WHERE locationIsHome=1 LIMIT 1
1783469127.47820.0008INSERT INTO swt_shop_cart(memberID,locationID,currencyID,cartPricing,cartProperties) VALUES(NULL,'1',47,'standard','[]')
1783469127.48010.0019 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_shop_cart WHERE cartID=22757527
1783469127.48060.0005 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_shop_cart WHERE cartID=22757527
1783469127.48110.0006 [nil] SELECT * FROM swt_shop_sales WHERE saleFrom<='2026-07-08 00:05:00' AND saleTo>'2026-07-08 00:05:00' AND saleActive=1 AND saleDeleted IS NULL ORDER BY saleOrder ASC
1783469127.48230.0011 [250] SELECT country, countryID FROM swt_shop_countries WHERE countryActive=1 ORDER BY country ASC
1783469127.48360.0014Using template: /templates/pages/attributes/seo.html
1783469127.4840.0004 [1] SELECT regionID, regionTemplate, regionPage, regionRev AS rev FROM swt_content_regions WHERE regionKey='Banner image' AND (regionPage='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' OR regionPage='*')
1783469127.48470.0007 [1] SELECT * FROM ( SELECT idx.itemID, c.regionID, idx.pageID, c.itemJSON, idx2.indexValue as sortval FROM swt_content_index idx JOIN swt_content_items c ON idx.itemID=c.itemID AND idx.itemRev=c.itemRev AND idx.regionID=c.regionID JOIN swt_content_index idx2 ON idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev AND idx2.indexKey='_order' WHERE ((idx.regionID=2790 AND idx.itemRev=1)) AND idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev ) as tbl GROUP BY itemID, pageID, itemJSON, sortval, regionID ORDER BY sortval ASC
1783469127.48670.002 [82] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageDepth >=0 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1783469127.48960.0029 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' LIMIT 1
1783469127.49150.0019 [5] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-002-005-004-001-002', '000-002-005-004-001', '000-002-005-004', '000-002-005', '000-002', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1783469127.49360.002Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template.html
1783469127.49360 [6] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1783469127.50260.009 [4] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1783469127.5030.0004 [29] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1783469127.50510.0021 [10] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1783469127.50610.001 [7] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1783469127.50670.0006 [9] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1783469127.510.0033Using template: /templates/pages/attributes/default.html
1783469127.51010.0001Using sub-template: /templates/pages/attributes/seo.html
1783469127.51030.0002Using template: /templates/pages/attributes/default.html
1783469127.51040.0001Using sub-template: /templates/pages/attributes/seo.html
1783469127.51050.0001 [1] SELECT collectionID, collectionTemplate FROM swt_collections WHERE collectionKey='Opportunities'
1783469127.51150.001 [nil] SELECT * FROM ( SELECT idx.itemID, ci.collectionID, ci.itemJSON, idx2.indexValue as sortval FROM swt_collection_index idx JOIN swt_collection_items ci ON idx.itemID=ci.itemID AND idx.itemRev=ci.itemRev AND idx.collectionID=ci.collectionID JOIN swt_collection_revisions cr ON idx.itemID=cr.itemID AND idx.itemRev=cr.itemRev AND idx.collectionID=ci.collectionID JOIN swt_collection_index idx2 ON idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev AND idx2.indexKey='_order' WHERE (idx.collectionID=6) AND ((idx.indexKey='page_title' AND idx.indexValue='Wild Wetlands')) AND idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev ) as tbl GROUP BY itemID, itemJSON, sortval ORDER BY sortval ASC
1783469127.51320.0016Using template: /templates/content/_opportunity_listing.html
1783469127.51340.0003 [2] SELECT regionKey, regionHTML FROM swt_content_regions WHERE regionPage='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' OR regionPage='*' ORDER BY regionPage DESC
1783469127.51640.003 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' OR pageSortPath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' LIMIT 1
1783469127.51880.0023 [5] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageHidden=0 AND pageNew=0 AND pageTreePosition IN ('000-002-005-004-001-002', '000-002-005-004-001', '000-002-005-004', '000-002-005', '000-002', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition
1783469127.52330.0046 [5] Using template: /templates/navigation/breadcrumbs.html
1783469127.52440.0011Using template: /templates/pages/attributes/default.html
1783469127.52450.0001Using sub-template: /templates/pages/attributes/seo.html
1783469127.52460.0001 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/what-we-do' OR pageSortPath='/what-we-do' LIMIT 1
1783469127.52540.0008 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-002' LIMIT 1
1783469127.52590.0006 [7] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-002%' AND pageDepth >=1 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1783469127.52860.0026 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' LIMIT 1
1783469127.53950.0109 [5] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-002-005-004-001-002', '000-002-005-004-001', '000-002-005-004', '000-002-005', '000-002', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1783469127.54220.0027 [6] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1783469127.54320.001 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/make-a-difference' OR pageSortPath='/make-a-difference' LIMIT 1
1783469127.54390.0006 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-005' LIMIT 1
1783469127.54430.0004 [38] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-005%' ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1783469127.54720.0029 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' LIMIT 1
1783469127.54940.0021 [5] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-002-005-004-001-002', '000-002-005-004-001', '000-002-005-004', '000-002-005', '000-002', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1783469127.55990.0105 [10] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1783469127.5630.0031 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/visit' OR pageSortPath='/visit' LIMIT 1
1783469127.56390.0009 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-004' LIMIT 1
1783469127.56450.0006 [30] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-004%' AND pageDepth >=1 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1783469127.56750.003 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' LIMIT 1
1783469127.570.0025 [5] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-002-005-004-001-002', '000-002-005-004-001', '000-002-005-004', '000-002-005', '000-002', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1783469127.57270.0027 [29] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1783469127.57510.0024 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/make-a-difference' OR pageSortPath='/make-a-difference' LIMIT 1
1783469127.57580.0007 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-005' LIMIT 1
1783469127.57620.0004 [11] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-005%' AND pageDepth >=1 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1783469127.57830.0021 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse/what-we-do/wild-wetlands' LIMIT 1
1783469127.57990.0017 [5] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-002-005-004-001-002', '000-002-005-004-001', '000-002-005-004', '000-002-005', '000-002', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1783469127.58190.0019 [10] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1783469127.58350.0016Request time: 0.1577
1783469127.58350Process time: 0.1575
1783469127.58350Memory: 1.6223