Wales Metal Mines
Programme
Wales has a long history of mining for metals dating back to the Bronze Age. The industry reached a peak in the 19th century and by the 1920s most mining had ended, leaving behind a legacy of over 1300 abandoned mines. These abandoned mines are a source of water pollution through discharges of water from underground mine workings, and leaching and erosion of metals from spoil heaps.
Metals such as zinc, lead and cadmium are entering rivers from abandoned mines. This is causing around 700 km of our river in Wales to fail to meet ‘Good’ chemical or ecological status as per the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The pollution harms the river ecology, reducing fish populations and diversity of invertebrate life.
The Wales Metal Mines Programme (WMMP) was set up in 2020. It is funded by Welsh Government and is being jointly delivered by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Mining Remediation Authority.
The aim of the Programme is to achieve cleaner rivers and contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources as detailed in the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The Programme is one of a number delivering River Basin Management Plans in Wales, which are designed to protect and improve the water environment for the benefit of people and wildlife.
Visit Natural Resources Wales’ Wales Metal Mines Programme bilingual web space. (External webpage opens in a new window).
Download our Wales Metal Mines Programme 2025 Programme Booklet (PDF).
You can contact our delivery team directly via email: enquiries@metalmineswales.co.uk.