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Peatbog Monitoring

In March 2020 we restored a 200,000 m2 area of formerly drained peatbog, raising the water table and improving the conditions for water and carbon storage, and creating valuable habitat.

We are part of the Moors for the Future citizen science initiative to restore and monitor the health of moorland habitats. We undertake an annual monitoring survey of the area, including depth of peat (see video below), soil pH, pH and dissolved carbon content of the water, and records of the wether conditions, the vegetation cover and wildlife.This data is recorded and returned annually to create a picture of the national health of moorland.

Data for 2020 included a maximum peat depth of over 2.5m and an estimate of 66% spaghnum moss cover across the monitoring area.

The videos below show local contractor John Kirkbride blocking the drains, and Project Assistant Craig using peat rods to measure the depth of the peat.