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The Sizewell nuclear power station has caused significant environmental damage to the coastal landscape of Suffolk for decades. Moreover, the proposed expansion of the power station will result in the further destruction of nearby ecosystems, including disruptions to the adjacent RSBP Minsmere Nature Reserve. This project proposes to relocate the RSBP Nature Reserve to higher ground, creating a cascade of salt marshes that buffer inland freshwater ecologies from saline intrusion. The design of the marshes utilises sedimentation processes from the tides to create a sponge-like topography that mitigates floodwater and reduces coastal erosion. With the new salt marsh, the local economy of the Sizewell region takes on new potential as a saline agricultural landscape.
The salt marshes are located in the tidal zone connecting the land and the sea, and as the water levels drop, paths appear in the terrain, leading people into the salt marsh farms to pick salt marsh vegetables.
Water levels on the site greatly vary due to tidal movements. When the water level is above 2m, the site can be accessed, and salt marsh plants harvested via paddling.
The viewing path and farm areas are designed in response to the topography. Attractive salt marsh plants bring visitors to higher (3m+) areas, while the lower marshes are well suited for agriculture.