Rewilding Wetlands: How SAS Aquatics Supports Funded Projects

Published October 2025

Wetlands are some of the UK’s most precious and productive habitats. They filter water, store carbon, buffer floods, and provide a home for extraordinary wildlife. Yet, too many of our wetlands have been drained, neglected, or over-managed.

Through the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme, landowners can now access targeted funding to restore and manage these landscapes. One of the newest options—CWT12: Wetland Grazing Supplement—is designed to help farmers and land managers maintain healthy wetland habitats through carefully timed grazing.

At SAS Aquatics, we specialise in designing and delivering projects like this. Here’s how it works, and why it benefits your land, your livestock, and the wider environment.

What is the Wetland Grazing Supplement (CWT12)?

CWT12 is a supplementary action under CSHT. It pays £566 per hectare per year (for five years) to support appropriate grazing in wetland habitats, when used alongside higher-tier actions such as:

• CWT13: Manage and restore fen, reedbed and wetland mosaics
• CWT14: Create fen, reedbed or wetland mosaics
• CWT10: Manage lowland raised bog

The aim is simple: maintain wetland habitats in the right condition through seasonal grazing, rather than letting them scrub over or degrade.

How SAS Aquatics Can Deliver

Implementing a wetland grazing plan isn’t just about putting cattle out to pasture. It requires ecological understanding, hydrological management, and practical delivery on the ground.

Our approach combines:

• Site assessments – Using DEFRA’s MAGIC map, soil/water testing, and habitat surveys.
• Hydrological restoration – Blocking ditches, removing historic drains, and re-profiling channels to restore natural water levels.
• Tailored grazing plans – Matching native breeds (e.g. Devon Reds, Exmoor ponies, Belted Galloways) to your land’s capacity and seasonal cycles.
• Habitat works – Creating scrapes, controlling invasive scrub, maintaining wetland mosaics.
• Stakeholder liaison – Working with Natural England, Historic England, and the RPA to secure approvals.
• Evidence and records – Stocking logs and habitat monitoring to stay compliant.

We provide end-to-end delivery, from grant application through to on-the-ground works and long-term management.

Why Wetland Restoration Matters

Draining wetlands was once seen as “improving” land. In reality, it often left soils unproductive, costly to manage, and prone to carbon loss.

Problems with drained wetlands:

• Waterlogged soils still hard to farm
• Peat shrinkage and carbon release
• Ongoing drain maintenance costs
• Higher downstream flood risk

Benefits of restoring wetlands:

• Land becomes self-sustaining rather than reliant on pumps
• Peat and wetland plants rebuild carbon stocks
• Grazing livestock thrive on rough pasture
• Water stored safely on land rather than flooding crops or villages

What Wetland Restoration Means for Farmers

For many farmers, wet ground has always been a challenge. But with CWT12, wetland grazing turns marginal land into a reliable asset.

• Guaranteed income – £566 per hectare per year
• Native breeds thrive – hardy cattle and ponies convert rough grazing into premium products
• Lower input costs – no reseeding, fertiliser, or drain clearance
• Diversification – eco-tourism, bird hides, angling, wild product harvests
• ☀️ Climate resilience – wetlands buffer against floods and droughts

Instead of fighting the land, you can now work with it.

Case Study: Turning Wet Ground into an Asset

Location: Mid-Devon, near Crediton
Farm type: Mixed beef and sheep, 65 hectares

For years, 10 hectares of low-lying pasture stayed waterlogged in winter and cracked in summer despite old drains.

• Old drains were blocked and scrapes created
• Belted Galloways introduced for conservation grazing
• Fencing and water control installed with grant funding
• Stocking records and habitat monitoring kept up-to-date

Results after two years:

• £5,660 guaranteed annual income
• £1,200/year saved on drain clearance and reseeding
• Galloways thriving, producing premium beef
• Snipe, lapwing, and dragonflies returned
• Reduced downstream flooding

“That corner of the farm used to be a money pit. Now it pays for itself, looks fantastic, and we’ve got wildlife we haven’t seen in years.”
— Devon farmer

Case Study at a Glance

Farm size: 65 ha mixed farm
Wetland area restored: 10 ha

Annual Financial Impact

• £5,660 guaranteed income (CWT12)
• £1,200 savings on drains & reseeding
• = £6,860 net gain per year

Farm Benefits

• Hardy cattle thriving
• Reduced inputs
• Less labour required

Wildlife Returns

• Snipe, lapwing, reed warbler
• Dragonflies & damselflies
• Ragged robin & marsh valerian
• Water voles in year two

Wider Benefits

• Natural flood storage
• Carbon locked into peat soils
• Boosted public image & diversification

Takeaway: Wetland grazing delivers income, resilience, and thriving wildlife.

Funding and Support

With £566/ha/year available for five years, plus potential capital items (fencing, water structures, livestock facilities), the CWT12 supplement can significantly boost the financial viability of wetland restoration.

SAS Aquatics can help you:

• Identify eligibility and funding opportunities
• Draft applications and liaise with Natural England
• Deliver the works and provide monitoring to show success

Ready to Start a Wetland Project?

If you own or manage land within 2 hours of Moretonhampstead, Devon, we’d love to discuss how the CWT12 supplement could help you create thriving wetlands that support both nature and your business.

Get in touch with the SAS Aquatics team today to explore how we can bring your wetland back to life.