The Environment Agency, RSPB and Natural England are working together to adapt approximately 150 hectares of the Moors at Arne into a diverse wetland habitat.
With the sea level rising, important habitat for wildlife along the coast will be lost over the next 30 years. This “coastal squeeze”, where rising waters press against essential fixed sea defenses, will mean a loss of inter-tidal features such as mudflats, salt marsh and reedbeds.
According to EA, this project offers potential to make this site more resilient for sea level rise in the future and to manage the changes as naturally as possible, while protecting vital infrastructure such as Arne Road.
When finished, the coastal change project will enable the Environment Agency and its partners to continue to protect properties around Poole Harbor from the increased risk of flooding due to climate change.
A drop-in session was held at Wareham Town Hall earlier this month. Feedback from this phase of the project will be accepted until the end of November 2017.
Contractors and plant will be on site collecting borehole samples and establishing what materials are present, the water table, and groundwater flows. This information, combined with modelling and topographic surveys, will help develop the project and address technical challenges in delivering a preferred option.