Broads Peat Initiative
Our peatlands in the Broads National Park have been impacted by agricultural drainage and the historic cutting of peat for fuel. As a result, much of the remaining peatland is degraded.
We are working alongside farmers and landowners to restore these valuable landscapes.
What is peat?
Peat is a soft, organic material that forms when dead plant matter accumulates in waterlogged areas over thousands of years. The wetland landscapes of the Broads contain large deposits of peat.
From the 12th to 14th centuries, peat digging was a thriving industry, with workers extracting it for fuel. As a result, large pits were carved into the landscape. By the late 14th century, these pits were abandoned and gradually filled with water, transforming the partly man-made terrain into a rich wetland teeming with wildlife.
Why are our peatlands so important?
Biodiversity: Peatlands provide a unique habitat for rare and specialised species, including the rare Swallowtail butterfly, Norfolk Hawker dragonfly and Fen Orchid.
Carbon storage: Healthy peatlands act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When drained, however, they release this stored carbon, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
Flood mitigation: Peatlands help absorb water and release it slowly, reducing the risk of flooding. They also act as natural water filters, improving water quality.
Wildfire prevention: Wildfires can devastate wildlife and release carbon from peatlands into the atmosphere. By managing water levels in summer, we can significantly reduce the risk and impact of wildfires.
The scale of the issue
The Broads holds approximately 44 million tonnes of CO2 in its peatlands. To put this into perspective, that’s almost the same amount of CO2 produced by electricity generation in the UK in 2020. However, around 2,000 hectares of peatland have been drained, leading to an estimated 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the past 40 years.
The opportunity
By working with farmers and land managers to raise water tables, we are adapting to the changing climate and wetter winters in the Broads. This will help restore peatlands, improve carbon storage, and reduce emissions.
What we are doing
Watertable management projects: We are planning and implementing watertable management strategies and have worked with the Environment Agency to create a new Guide to Water Permissions. Download the Design Guide to Support Water Table and Water Resource Management in the Broads National Park (PDF).
Innovative cropping: We are exploring the growth and harvesting of wetland crops to improve water quality and produce sustainable building products (known as paludiculture). Learn more about our current work on the FibreBroads webpage or watch our short film exploring paludiculture at the Horsey Estate to learn more.
Supporting Farm Advisers: We are creating tools for farm advisers to calculate baseline watertables and water requirements. Download the Excel tool here (XLS).
Engaging with Farmers: We are working closely with farmers, helping them access Countryside Stewardship opportunities. Watch our short film with RG Wright and Sons at Chestnut Farm to learn more.
Monitoring and Research: In collaboration with researchers, we are monitoring watertable changes and the reduction of carbon emissions from the land. As part of our Broads Peat Discovery Project we collected data from a wide range of sites located within different river valleys in the Broads. The data collected included soil surveys, peat surveys, water levels, vegetation and water vole surveys.
Restoring peatlands: CANAPE (Creating a New Approach to Peatland Ecosystems) was a European funded Interreg North Sea Region project which delivered peatland restoration, developed new peatland products and created economic benefits at Hickling Broad. CANAPE concluded in 2022 was followed up by the FibreBroads project.