| Standing Open Water and its Margins- Cotswold Water Park |
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Cotswold Water Park Action Plan |
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| Extent/Distribution There are 132 waterbodies comprising approximately 880 ha of standing open water in the Cotswold Water Park and the area is increasing. It is estimated that the lake area was growing by 55 ha a year in the early 1990s, but this rate has now declined. The average size of water bodies in the park is approximately 7 ha - but this varies between 0.3 ha (Lake 21) and 38.6 ha (Lake 114). The mean depth is relatively shallow at around 2m. The nature of the gravel pits is likely to change in time. In a study on the gravel pit ecology of the Cotswold Water Park evidence is presented for the natural evolution of diverse marl pit communities into the less diverse communities characteristic of very eutrophic waters, and therefore the marl communities may disappear in time (Bell M 1996). UK: The principal factors affecting standing open waters are:-
Cotswold Water Park
1) Where conditions allow, create large lakes of 30 hectares or more to be managed for wintering wildfowl. At least one of these should be created in the next 10 years. Rationale:- Michael Bell 1996 showed in his report 'Gravel Pit Ecology in the Cotswold Water Park ' that the 'carrying capacity of lakes for wintering waterfowl is well described by lake size'. Therefore it would be a significant contribution towards the conservation of waterfowl if more of these lakes were created. However, it is recognised that large lakes can exacerbate flooding problems and that these factors will need to be balanced. 2) Maintain and enhance existing small (1m2 to 2 ha) shallow (<1 m deep) ponds. These should have emergent vegetation growing around 50% of shore. Seek to create more shallow ponds, preferably in groups. Target areas and dates to be determined after survey. Rationale: Between 37.5% -50% of ponds are estimated to have been lost in Gloucestershire since 1950. This kind of habitat is important for a wide range of species of conservation concern including amphibians like the great crested newt, dragonflies and damselflies and many other aquatic invertebrates and aquatic plants. It may also be possible for landowners to accommodate this habitat even when most of their land and water area is intensively used for commercial purposes. 3) Maintain and enhance all existing long shingle or sandy shorelines, lacking vegetation and with shallow slopes (10¼) dipping into shallow water, and seek to create long (30 m) shorelines of a similar nature. Target areas, and dates to be determined after survey. Rationale: This kind of habitat is important for a wide range of species of conservation concern including green sandpiper, other passage waders, ringed plover, little ringed plover, ducks - as a loafing area, and stoneworts. 4) Maintain, enhance and create similar shorelines (as described
in previous objective) with a width of at least 2 m above and below
the waterline, including some areas of overhanging trees and scrubs
in the immediate vicinity of the water, undisturbed emergent vegetation
and aquatic vegetation. Target areas and dates to be determined after
survey. 5) Maintain, enhance and create bare shingle islands. Target area:- create 4 ha of additional shingle island , date:- 2005. Rationale:- This kind of habitat is important for a wide range of species of conservation concern including breeding common tern, little ringed plover, ringed plover, gulls. 6) Maintain, enhance and create vegetated islands. Target areas:- create 4 ha of additional vegetated island, date: 2005. Rationale:- This kind of habitat is important for a wide range of species of conservation concern including otters and breeding waterfowl, ( including herons if there are trees). 7) Maintain the quality of marl waters where possible. Target date:- ongoing. Rationale:- This kind of habitat is important for a nationally scarce community of plants which have been protected through SSSI designation. As the gravel working ends, this kind of habitat will slowly disappear due to natural and man-induced eutrophication. Therefore the long term conservation of this kind of sub-habitat will involve a long term management commitment. 8) Seek to manage existing areas of shallow water as a duck
marsh or wader scrape and to create two more extensive areas of shallow
water of this kind, at least one by 2005. These areas of shallow water
should be between 5-10 ha in size, consisting of 2 or more shallow basins
with an average winter depth of 0.3-1.5m. If water level control is
not feasible, the bed should be constructed to a range of depths relative
to the known water levels in different seasons. Top soil should be spread
inside the basins and trees and scrub kept away from the area. [see above] no information currently available Policy and legislation Grants and other fundingPersuade MAFF that the CWP should receive priority consideration for the Countryside Stewardship Waterside Landscape Option. LEAD:EN PARTNERS: RSPB TARGET: 1997 Planning Framework Require that development schemes should include appropriate mitigation and compensation measures should they affect the quality of the standing open water habitat. LEAD:NCF PARTNERS: local planning authorities TARGET: ongoing Management
Site Management Action LEAD: Glos. Research and monitoring
Research and Monitoring Quantify the resources of the sub-habitats of Standing Open Water in the CWP, taking account of the information already obtained by English Nature during the production of their Site Management Guidelines, and the information collated by the CWP audit. LEAD:WWT PARTNERS: GWT TARGET: 1998 To regularly monitor site management activity, recreational patterns and new development proposals at the CWP lakes. LEAD:CWP Ranger Service PARTNERS: local residents, lake managers. TARGET: 1998 To investigate the use and impact of fertilisers used for fisheries purposes on the ecology of gravel pits. LEAD: EA TARGET: 1998 To seek funding for a research project on marl lake ecology in the CWP with particular reference to the problem of eutrophication. LEAD: WW TARGET: 1998 To seek funding for a research project into the critical carrying capacity for wildfowl of these standing open water habitats. LEAD: WW TARGET: 1998 Education and awareness
raising
[no information currently available] no information currently available |
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