The Severn Vale covers approximately 1,500km2 and includes many small rivers and brooks that drain into the lower river Severn and Severn estuary. The landscape is diverse with mixed urban, agricultural, and forested areas from Cheltenham and the Cotswold escarpment in the east to the extensive woodlands of the Forest of Dean in the west. The region is one of the most important river systems in the UK for the European eel and boasts the famous natural phenomena of the Severn Bore tidal wave which washes upstream from the ocean and is a popular attraction for spectators and surfers.
The Severn Vale has several sites of international importance for wildlife conservation. Both Walmore Common and a part of the Severn estuary are designated RAMSAR sites, due to wildfowl that use them. The Severn estuary is also designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The Severn Vale has 120 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – of these, 43 are water dependent biological sites. There is one National Nature Reserve (Cotswold Common and Beechwoods), which is made up of lots of small and large areas of woodland and grassland, and 11 Local Nature Reserves within the region.
For more information on the catchment partnership, visit the Catchment Based Approach website.
