page_title: Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve
section_title: Access
hierarchical_section_title: Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve / Access
caption_attribution_description: Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve, Cardiff, Wales
context_page_description: Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve is located in Cardiff Bay in the city of Cardiff. It covers an area of approximately 8 hectares. The area was officially opened as a wildlife reserve on 25 July 2002 in what was previously an area of Site of Special Scientific Interest up until the opening of the Cardiff Bay Barrage in April 2001. The area had previously been salt marsh, but the Barrage created 200 hectares of freshwater lake, and from this the reserve was developed.
context_section_description: A footpath crosses the reserve from St. David’s Hotel to the Yacht Club on the River Taff. At the end of this footpath, a boardwalk goes out into the water, allowing good viewing across the Reserve, and also provides a good spot for watching the fish shoaling in the shallow waters.
  Although public access is not permitted onto the main body of the reserve, this is to allow excellent breeding and feeding conditions to develop for the species present. It is possible to view many bird species from the public area with the naked eye, and binoculars will allow an even better birding experience.
  Also visible is a floating boom that surrounds the reserve. Under conditions of high river flows on the Rivers Taff and Ely, water-borne debris can be washed down into Cardiff Bay from the upstream catchments. This boom prevents this debris from entering the reserve, and impacting upon the species that are found there.
caption: The board walk over the Reserve
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