Supporting Our
Catchment Area
Understanding the river, and the needs that surround it...
The Nyfer am Byth project engages as many people in the catchment area as possible in the future of the Afon Nyfer. With funding from the Coastal Capacities Scheme and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation the project engages with local communities to develop solutions and trigger action to meet the challenges facing our beautiful river valley, for people and nature.
Over the course of 2024–2025, the Nyfer am Byth team launched a comprehensive community survey and held a series of consultation events across the catchment area - from Newport to Crymych, and everywhere in between. These events were grounded in the principles of co-production, ensuring that all voices were not only welcomed but genuinely heard and valued.
Themed events focusing on topics such as food and farming, local history, and place-names helped draw in additional participants and sparked rich conversations rooted in local identity and lived experience. The majority of these events were held in Welsh first, with simultaneous translation provided to ensure participants could engage in Cymraeg and English respectively. Also held was a dedicated Nyfer am Byth Day held in collaboration with Canolfan yr Urdd Pentre Ifan, with support from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. This special day brought together primary-aged children from across the catchment, giving them the opportunity to shape solutions and voice their hopes, concerns, and ideas for the future of their river and community whilst learning about pollution and taking part in kick sampling; as well as crafting their own creative responses to the river - from posters, comic strips and songs and river-raps.
The insights gathered through this wide-ranging engagement now underpin our ongoing plans, reflecting the community’s priorities, knowledge, and aspirations.
If you have further comments on the Community Catchment Plan at this draft stage,
please email sophie@cwmarian.org.uk by August 31st 2025.
The health of any waterbody is a direct result of the waters flowing into it, from rain falling and collected in its catchment.
Waters draining from the land, via groundwater and runoff, will carry all the sediment, nutrients, chemicals, litter, all the detritus of modern-day life and living, via rivers and estuaries to the sea, ultimately affecting the quality of the bathing waters and beaches at the river’s mouth.
A catchment (or river catchment) is the area of land where all rainwater and surface water drains into a specific river, stream, or body of water.
When we refer to the Nyfer catchment, we mean the entire landscape where water flows into the Afon Nyfer (River Nevern). This includes hills, fields, tributaries, and the communities that lie within that natural drainage area.
In short, a catchment is the land area that "catches" water and feeds it into a particular river system. It's a useful way to think about environmental and community connections that are shaped by the river.
What is a catchment?
