Baker Consultants Ltd

British ponds in a “terrible state”

The BBC reported today following report from the charity Pond Conservation on the poor state of British ponds http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8497217.stm .

The report highlights the importance of ponds for biodiversity and how agricultural pollution, in particular, is resulting in a decline in quality.

Many development projects provide the opportunity to incorporate new ponds into the landscaping whether as part of the Sustainable Urban Drainage System, public open space or within gardens. New ponds can be a highly cost effective way ecological mitigation, however it isn’t simply a case of digging a hole and hoping it fills with water. Wildlife ponds need to be carefully designed to allow maximum opportunities for biodiversity and although management is infrequent some rejuvenation will be required ever 10 years or so.

More details on pond design can be found at http://www.pondconservation.org.uk.