NATURAL Resources Wales plans to place boulders along sections of the River Wye in an effort to restore wildlife habitats and improve the health of one of the UK’s most important rivers.

The scheme is presently focused on sections of the River Wye at Llangurig near Rhayader, where boulders were once a natural feature of the River Wye before being removed.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) says the project will help recreate features that naturally occur in a healthy river.

The boulders will alter the flow of the water, creating a mixture of fast-flowing and slower areas, while also helping to form pools and riffles.

The changes are expected to benefit a wide range of wildlife, particularly fish such as Atlantic salmon and trout, providing shelter for young fish from strong currents, while the movement of water around the stones can help create suitable gravel beds for spawning.

Designated as a Special Area of Conservation, the state of the Wye has sparked calls for action over declining fish numbers, pollution, excessive sediment and damage to habitats.

The size and position of the boulders are being carefully considered to ensure they work with the natural flow of the river.

Engineers and environmental specialists also need to consider the possible effects on surrounding land, flooding and areas upstream and downstream.

Supporters of the scheme say that allowing the river to develop a more varied channel could create better conditions for aquatic insects and fish, in turn providing benefits for birds, otters and other animals that depend on the river ecosystem.

Monitoring will be an important part of the project. Surveys of fish and river habitats will help determine whether the restoration work is producing the expected result, with officials able to compare conditions before and after the boulders are introduced.

The scheme forms part of a much wider effort to improve the Wye.

NRW has stressed that restoring the river will require action throughout the catchment rather than relying on a single project.

Other measures include improving riverbanks, creating buffer zones, tackling excessive sediment and nutrients, controlling invasive species and working with farmers, landowners and local communities.

Environmental campaigners have welcomed efforts to improve the condition of the Wye, although some argue that much more needs to be done to tackle the underlying causes of the river’s problems.

The restoration forms part of NRW’s wider Upper Wye Catchment Restoration Project, which aims to address pressures affecting the River Wye Special Area of Conservation.