Malltraeth Marsh
It was reclaimed from estuarine marshes after the construction of the Malltraeth Cob (dyke), a 1 mile (1.6 km) long embankment,[1] and the subsequent canalisation in 1824 of the Afon Cefni.
The area is recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and has a range of reedbeds, marshes, wet grassland and small pools/lakes.
[5] In 1790, an act of Parliament was obtained for more effectually embanking the marshes called Malltraeth and Corsddeuga, under the provisions of which 93 hectares (230 acres) were allotted to the several proprietors of land in the parish of Llangaffo.
A short tunnel, the first in Anglesey, pierces the low hills which extend along the west side of Malltraeth Marsh before reaching Bodorgan railway station.
[11] Above Malltraeth lies the extensive common land of the marsh, which is bounded on the north-west by the parishes of Llangadwaladr, Trefdraeth, and Llangristiolus; on the northeast by Llangefni and Llanffinan.
The marshes are notable for their breeding bird community, lowland damp grassland, reedbeds, the threatened habitat of wet meadows, and the botanical importance of their ditches and watercourses.
[4] Management options undertaken to conserve the marshland consists of: maintaining water levels by proper upkeep of clay-lined ditches to conserve flora and fauna; maintaining an exclusive swamp area to breed bittern; creation of shallow water ditches along old water courses to drain large land areas where waders can feed; establishing water control structures on secondary drains to maintain high ground water table during the spring season; control of introduced invasive plant species such as fairy fern, Australian stonecrop and Himalayan balsam; reduce risk of predation (by predators such as crows and minks) of birds by constant conservation and preservation of hedges; encouraging grazing during the winter season and reducing it during summer to attract ground nestling birds, and controlled agricultural management to provide nestling sites for waders.
