Work is being carried out to restore about four hectares of rare salt marsh on the River Dart.

The Environmental Agency (AE) and several groups are carrying out the work, which includes placing hundreds of hazel and willow bundles along the marshes to build up sediment levels and plant life.

The restoration work is seen as important as salt marshes capture carbon, protect shorelines from erosion, help to clean water and provide a habitat for wildlife.

Despite this, more than 85 per cent of England’s salt marsh has been lost due to pressure from developers and land use change. More could potentially disappear due to sea level rise and climate change.

Downstream of Totnes, works at the 40ft off and Home Reach marshes are nearly complete.

Work will start next month on improving pedestrian access, footpaths and adding signage in Long Marsh, near Steamer Quay, which should be completed by March 2025.

The work, which also involves Dart Harbour and the Navigation Authority, is being done with £200,000 of funding from the EA, the Duchy of Cornwall, South Hams District Council and South Devon National Landscape.

There is evidence the work is paying off as new, rare and protected plant species have reportedly been recorded in the habitat for the first time.

Emma Magee, for the EA, 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.”

Paul Britton, Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority’s harbour master, added: “It’s great to be getting spades in the mud. As stewards of this stunning estuary, we are very pleased to be playing our part in restoring these vital habitats, providing our staff, boats and equipment to work alongside scientists and local volunteers on these fragile ecosystems.”