We had a very prolonged dry spell in summer which was generally not good news for a nature reserve. However, it did give the volunteers an opportunity to restore Reservoir Pond while the water level went from low to virtually non-existent.
The pond is an important breeding site for the common frog. The pond had become severely choked by flag iris and reedmace. The resulting encroachment meant very limited open water for the frogs to mate and spawn.
The work entailed digging out the unwanted growth by their roots. The opportunity was also taken to reduce the volume of silt and mud that had accumulated. Also, some of the overhanging tree growth was removed to allow more light to reach the water. We did also remove the effects of many years of littering and dumping into the pond. It was not practical to take the mud and silt away. It was therefore added to the central island within the pool.
The gallery shows some of the work taking place
And here’s the end result, following the replenishment of the water level by autumn rains
The water is covered by duckweed. The problem for here and the marsh which feeds into this pond is the high nutrient level. This has historically come from sewage leakage.