Afon Dyfi
Its large estuary forms the boundary between the counties of Gwynedd and Ceredigion, and its lower reaches have historically been considered the border between North Wales and South Wales.
Name
Nowadays the Welsh spelling Dyfi is widely used locally and by the Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and the BBC. The anglicised spelling Dovey continues to be used by some entities.
Sources
The River Dyfi rises in the small lake Creiglyn Dyfi at about 1,900 feet (580 m) above sea level, below Aran Fawddwy, flowing south to Dinas Mawddwy and Cemmaes Road (Welsh: Glantwymyn), then south west past Machynlleth to Cardigan Bay (Welsh: Bae Ceredigion) at Aberdyfi. It shares its watershed with the River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren) and the River Dee (Welsh: Afon Dyfrdwy) before flowing generally south-westwards down to a wide estuary. The only large town on its route is Machynlleth.
The river is prone to flooding and some roads in the lower catchment can become impassable during very wet weather. It has been a relatively pristine river with few polluting inputs. The catchment area is notable for its now-defunct lead mines and slate quarries, especially around Corris and Dinas Mawddwy, and is notable for its salmon and sea trout (migratory brown trout).
Tributaries
The main tributaries of the River Dyfi are:
- Afon Leri at Ynyslas
- Afon Clettwr north of Tre'r Ddol
- Nant y Gog at Eglwys Fach
- Afon Einion at between Eglyws Fach and Glandyfi
- Afon Llyfnant at Glandyfi
- North Dulas at Ffridd Gate
- South Dulas east of Machynlleth
- Afon Ceirig at Mathafarn
- Afon Twymyn upstream of Cemmaes Road (Glantwymyn)
- Afon Angell at Aberangell
- Afon Cleifion at Mallwyd
- Afon Cerist at Dinas Mawddwy
- Afon Cywarch at Aber-Cywarch
Dyfi Bridge
The road bridge which crosses the river north of Machynlleth is a landmark.
Dyfi Biosphere
The area around Aberystwyth and the Dyfi Valley is known as the Dyfi Biosphere (Welsh: Biosffer Dyfi). It was UNESCO-designated in 1978. Within the biosphere are a number of Special Areas of Conservation and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (Cors Fochno, Coed Cwm Einion and Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau).
In March 2021, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) granted Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust a licence to release up to six beavers in the Dyfi Valley, the first official beaver release in Wales.
The estuary is known for its saltmarshes.
Film Location
The Dyfi estuary was used as a location shot in Led Zeppelin's 1976 film The Song Remains the Same. The segment of the film is where Robert Plant comes ashore on a boat, after which he rides a horse, making his way to Raglan Castle. The band's Bron-Yr-Aur cottage is located on the edge of Machynlleth.
In Print
In 2022 Jim Perrin published an essay on the River Dyfi in “Rivers of Wales” (Gwasg Garreg Gwalch).