Sackfuls of special moss is to be flown in by HELICOPTER in order to prevent erosion on moorland above Holmfirth.
Work is set to get underway later this month to re-plant the sphagnum mosses, which protect peat soil from erosion.
Yorkshire Water will embark on the project with partners Moors For The Future on Snailsden and Thurlston Moors, near to Winscar Reservoir just off Dunford Road.
But as the moors are so rural, helicopters will be used to deliver the moss, while unmanned aircraft have been helping to map erosion features to identify where the moss will be needed.
It’s part of a £2million programme supporting conservation body Natural England to improve the condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
A Yorkshire Water spokesman explained that “centuries of change have led to Yorkshire’s peatland habitats being degraded”.
The company are aiming to conserve and enhance 43 square miles of Yorkshire’s peat moorland over the next four years, while this conservation project is expected to be completed by next month.
And experts say restoring the landscape will also boost local biodiversity and improve the quality of raw water in several moorland catchments.
Moorland gullies and ‘grips’ - man-made drains dug to improve the land for agriculture - will also be restored, while 4,000 dams are to be created to stop water logging the mooland.
The spokesman added: “Approximately 4,000 peat turf and stone dams will be created in these ‘grips’ and gullies to slow the water flow and also restore the water table.
“These will also trap peat sediment and help prevent it getting into water destined for customers’ water supplies, meaning it’s easier for Yorkshire Water to treat.”
Michael Toy, Yorkshire Water’s project manager, said the the mosses would be delivered by helicopter.
“Because the moors are so remote we are using a helicopter to deliver the materials and the mosses to site,” he said.
“We’ll use an area to the south east of Winscar reservoir car park to store materials and there will be times when we need to close this car park to allow the helicopter to take off and land safely.”
The project at Snailsden and Thurlstone Moors will be completed in March - weather permitting - with the whole programme of work complete by the end of 2020.
