Saltmarsh being restored on the River Dart

The £200k project is designed to restore around 10 acres (4ha) of marshes

Saltmarsh is being restored in a corner of the River Dart in Devon.

The £200k project is designed to restore around 10 acres (4ha) of marsh with more than 200 hazel and willow bundles being staked in to help build up sediment levels and plant life.

Thirteen organisations are working together on the project, including the Environment Agency (EA) and Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority.

The EA said more than 85% of England's saltmarsh had been lost in recent centuries to development and changing land use and more is at risk through rising sea levels and climate change.

Work at the "40ft off" and Home Reach marshes is nearly complete, the Environment Agency said

Emma Magee, the EA's South Devon catchment coordinator, said: "These places are too important for people and wildlife to let them just slip away.

"We need people to see and feel a connection to these places to help care for them."

She said saltmarshes were essential as they captured carbon, protected shorelines from erosion, provided habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife and helped clean water.

Downstream of Totnes, work at the "40ft off" and Home Reach marshes have nearly been completed.

The EA said the team had recorded new, rare and protected plant species for the first time and international saltmarsh experts were advising on how to make the most of this opportunity.

Work to improve footpaths and add signage at Long Marsh, near Steamer Quay, will start next month and be complete by March 2025, the agency confirmed.

The project has been funded by the EA, Duchy of Cornwall, South Hams District Council and South Devon National Landscape.