River Wye - Description and SSSI Status

Description and SSSI Status

The source of the Wye is in the Welsh mountains at Plynlimon. It flows through or past several towns and villages including Rhayader, Builth Wells, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford (the only city on the River Wye), Ross-on-Wye, Symonds Yat, Monmouth and Tintern, meeting the Severn estuary just below Chepstow. The total length is 134 miles (216 km).

The Wye itself is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There are two distinct designations being River Wye (Upper Wye) or Afon Gwy (Gwy Uchaf) and River Wye (Lower Wye) or Afon Gwy (Gwy Isaf) SDdGA. For the River Wye (Lower Wye) there are seven units of assessment set by Natural England, and the citation involves the county authorities of Hereford and Worcester, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and Powys. The Lower Wye part is defined as Hay on Wye to Chepstow. The citations cover in detail geology, topography, flora, mammals, invertebrates, fish and birdlife as the River Wye (Upper and Lower), and several of the tributaries, constitute a large, linear ecosystem. It is an important migration route and wildlife corridor, as well as a stated key breeding area for a significant number of nationally and internationally important species.

The River Wye abuts a range of other SSSIs in England and in Wales. These include Upper Wye Gorge and Lower Wye Gorge. It is also a Special Area of Conservation and one of the most important rivers in the UK for nature conservation. The river supports a range of species and habitats covered by European Directives and those listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). Much of the lower valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and part of the SSSI falls within it. In Powys the river lies within the Radnorshire Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). The River Wye (Lower Wye) has been designated as a salmonid fishery under the EC Freshwater Fish Directive.

The Wye is largely unpolluted and used to be considered one of the best rivers for salmon fishing in the United Kingdom, outside of Scotland. However, in recent years the runs of salmon in the Wye have declined dramatically and according to the Environment Agency rod catch returns for 2009 it is not even the most productive salmon river in Wales, as more salmon were caught from the Welsh Dee. In England the Tyne, Ribble, Wear, Lune and Eden all had larger catches in 2009. In 1967 the Wye rod catch was 7,864; as recently as 1988 it was 6,401 but by 2002 it was only 357, a low from which it is recovering only very slowly despite the extensive habitat improvement work carried out by the Wye and Usk Foundation that was set up to restore the spring salmon runs. The Wye was particularly famous for its large "spring" salmon that had spent three or more years at sea before returning to spawn. They used to enter the river between January and June and sometimes reached weights of over 50 lbs, the largest recorded being 59 lbs 8oz landed after a long fight by Miss Doreen Davey from the Cowpond Pool at Ballingham on 13 March 1923. The last recorded 50 lb rod-caught salmon from the Wye was taken in 1963 by Donald Parrish and weighed 51 lbs 8oz. These large spring salmon have virtually disappeared over the past two or three decades.

It is also a popular river with canoeists due to the relatively slow-flowing water, making it good for beginners. The Symonds Yat Rapids are more challenging. There is a public right of navigation downstream from Hay. Walkers can enjoy the Wye Valley Walk which follows the route of the River Wye from Coed Hafren to Chepstow along a series of well-maintained way-marked paths.

A viewpoint near The Biblins on the Wye is known as 'Three Counties View', the meeting place of the counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire. The lower 16 miles (26 km) of the river from Redbrook to Chepstow forms the border between England and Wales.