Introduction
The Ribble Estuary is the funnel-shaped area to the west of the city of Preston where the River Ribble meets the Irish Sea. The area it covers stretches from Formby Point in Merseyside north to Rossell Point near Fleetwood and upstream to the tidal limit Preston. The area covered by Action Ribble Estuary encompasses the whole of the estuary, the tributaries that flow into it and the River Ribble to its tidal limit.
The wide Ribble Estuary is open and windswept with no tree cover. Man-made earth banks protect the surrounding land from flooding and both freshwater and saltwater marshes are valuable as grazing land and as habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.
Low tides in the estuary reveal extensive mud and sand flats. These are home to numerous creatures that are food for the tens of thousands of birds for which the estuary is internationally important.
The seaside resorts of Blackpool and Lytham St Annes on the north side of the estuary and Southport to the south meet the coast with extensive walls to protect the towns from high tides. At the less sheltered fringes of the estuary the winds have blown the sand to form sand dunes that soften the coastline.
Up stream, at Preston, the river was diverted from its natural course to allow the development of Preston Dock. A straight navigation channel was also built and dredging of this allowed the passage of ships to and fro between Preston to the sea. The port closed in 1981and the area around the dock has since been redeveloped.
Action Ribble Estuary, previously The Ribble Estuary Partnership, was formed in 1992 when it was recognised that there was a need for a new approach to the management of the coast, as well as the area extending 10 km offshore, that cut across administrative boundaries. The Ribble Estuary Strategy was produced to assist this management.
The work of the co-ordinator centres on the reduction of litter and pollution, provision of access and interpretation to encourage sustainable tourism and raising awareness of the estuary and its biodiversity.
Action Ribble Estuary works closely with sister action partnerships in the Ribble catchment, recognising that all rivers lead to the estuary.
Please note: Some of the links provided here direct you to external sites. The Mersey Basin Campaign and Action Ribble Estuary are not responsible for the content of these sites.
Contact Details
Lesley Cryer
Project Co-ordinator
Blackburn WWTW
Cuerdale Lane
Salmesbury
Preston
PR5 OUY
TEL: 01772 877122
FAX: 01772 877389
E-mail: l.cryer@merseybasin.org.uk
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