Waterways and Ponds
Here in the Forest we are so lucky to have an extensive waterway network that still has the freedom to choose how it meanders and floods. The waterways are the connective threads of all that is special here…. the forest woodland, the ponds, the open spaces, the boggy areas.
This project is an opportunity to see the Forest at its wildest and most secretive. We've been mapping our waterways and looking for ways we can improve our ponds through restoration and creation of new ones where necessary, along with nurturing what is already there.
Pond works: Since November 2021 we have been developing new ponds near Milkwall and Ellwood. For details about this work please read our Frequently Asked Questions 'FAQs' sheet
What has the project delivered?
The waterways and ponds project includes both flowing and standing water habitats. The project focus is the many brooks and ponds scattered across the forest, originating from seepages, pools and mires that are mainly clustered around Woorgreens Natures Reserve but can be found elsewhere in the Forest such as Wigpool and Edgehill.
To restore ecological connectivity across the wetscape, the project has already recorded the conditions of many of these existing ponds, waterways and valley mires but more help is needed. The project team want to continue creating accessible ponds for the benefits of local people and to restore waterways and valley mires; including the continued maintenance of a weir at Blakeney.
We want to see the recovery of iconic species that rely on the wetscape such as amphibians, reptiles, sphagnum mosses, willow tits and brook lampreys to name just a few.
What can I get involved in?
Led by Forestry England, this project continues to invite volunteers to carry out surveys looking at river habitats, fish, and the Forest brooks. For example, we welcome volunteers who could help monitor the eel pass at Blakeney each Spring.
Find out about the latest volunteer opportunities here.