AQUA VITAE 21
POND PROJECT

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Worcestershire County Council’s Countryside Service has developed a best practice guide to pond restoration following its successful Aqua Vitae 21 Pond Project. Project Officer Rachel Datlen explains the initiative.

Worcestershire’s Unique Pond Heritage
Ponds have an important role to play in the landscape and cultural heritage of the British Isles. They are a significant feature in terms of local distinctiveness and in many areas, form a parish or village focal point. The value of ponds to wildlife is immense and it has been suggested that a pond supports a greater diversity of species per cubic metre than any other habitat in Britain.

Worcestershire has a variety of pond features, ranging from areas with a noticeable high density of small ponds, similar to that of the Cheshire Plain, to the Medieval fish pools and moats of historical significance. From a regional perspective the presence of this unique "pondscape" sets Worcestershire apart from its Midland neighbours. The number and variety of ponds in the County reflect the changing face of the countryside through time. The typical Worcestershire heavy clay soils and network of watercourses are fundamental to the patchwork of ponds throughout the County. In most cases they provide a vital wildlife and educational asset and contribute to the distinctive character of the landscape.

Over the past millennium, pond formation, both natural and man-made, has produced one of the most significant environmental resources in Worcestershire. However, Worcestershire’s pond heritage is in decline. A survey carried out by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust in 1982 indicated that since 1920 49% of the County’s ponds have been lost through intensive agricultural practice, urban development or general lack of management. A study by a student in 1998 has shown that in a small area north of Redditch, 45% of the ponds on 1970 maps were destroyed, while existing ponds were generally small and very heavily shaded.

The need to raise the profile of ponds as an important habitat is illustrated in the Biodiversity Action Plan for Worcestershire which has Open Water as one of its Habitat Action Plans and associated Species Action Plans for great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) and water vole (Arvicola terrestris). Work to promote or restore sites adjacent to existing ponds with strong populations of such pond-dwelling species will help towards the dispersal of these to extend their range. Such work has both national and local significance, not only in safeguarding the assets concerned, but also in raising public awareness of their value and significance. Equally relevant are those sites that perpetuate regional or local characteristics and so strengthen and retain the identity and local distinctiveness of a place, such as the Medieval fish pools and moated sites at Feckenham and old marl pits in north Worcestershire.

Worcestershire County Council recognises the value of Worcestershire’s pond heritage and it is for this reason that Aqua Vitae 21 was created. This initiative is funded by the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, the former Countryside Commission and Worcestershire County Council’s Countryside Service. It is also supported by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, BTCV, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and the County Archaeology Service. The primary aim of Aqua Vitae 21 ("Water of Life") was to help select and conserve 21 examples of Worcestershire’s unique pond heritage.

Aims and Objectives
Worcestershire County Council launched Aqua Vitae 21 in December 1998 as a pilot approach to tackle and arrest the decline of locally and regionally important pond features. The Field Survey, Selection, Detailed Survey, and Restoration theme of Aqua Vitae 21 had several key objectives:

- To produce "best practice" management guidelines for pond restoration and management from initial site assessment to practical implementation.
- To encourage a greater local understanding of ponds and associated species through a training event centred on the historical functions of ponds, their value to wildlife and practical training in ecological survey techniques.
- To support the aims and objectives of the Biodiversity Action Plan for Great Britain and Worcestershire in relation to habitats and species associated with open water.
- To carry out a desktop survey of Worcestershire to establish the recorded extent of its pond resource. The survey sought to investigate the number of ponds on old maps beginning with the 1880’s County First Series maps and progressing through to current, modern day maps. This method would identify areas of high pond density and possibly determine actual losses of ponds over time.
- Develop a survey form to carry out a field based survey to determine a framework of information about each pond including its historical function and current value to wildlife.
- To develop comprehensive "pond selection and restoration" criteria based on cultural, historical, environmental and community factors.
- To apply selection criteria to identify 21 exemplar pond sites for a programme of restoration from those put forward by Parish Councils and local community groups.
- To carry out biological, hydrological and archaeological surveys where necessary on each of the 21 pond sites prior to any management works commencing.
- To determine a programme of ecological management and maintenance for each of the 21 pond sites.
- To implement "best practice" restoration programmes at each of the 21 selected pond sites that utilise both specialist contract labour and local voluntary action.

The 21 sites chosen for a programme of restoration under Aqua Vitae 21 were exemplar sites of ecological, historical and cultural importance. These include an old lime kiln at Cleeve Prior, field ponds at Ronkswood in Worcester, a brick-kiln at Hanbury Hall, an old marl pit at the Leys High School in Redditch, Medieval fish pools such as Tickenhill Palace in Bewdley and a reservoir in the Malvern Hills.

A wide range of management works were performed on the 21 sites, from alien species control to access improvement and thinning of trees and shrubs to road run-off pollution and sediment control. All the management tasks that were carried out during Aqua Vitae 21 were examples of best practice, which we are encouraging communities and land managers to follow. These management principles are important for the conservation of aquatic species, for the protection of the ponds themselves and for the benefit of the local community in terms of their health and safety and their enjoyment.

If you would like a copy of the project report, Aqua Vitae 21: A Best Practice Guide to Pond Restoration, please write to Rachel Datlen, Countryside Projects Officer, Waseley Hills Country Park, Gannow Green Lane, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9AT.

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