A Million Ponds by 2059

Yesterday evening, the BES Science Policy Team attended the launch of the Million Ponds Project. The ambitious project is a national initiative to reverse the long-term decline in ponds; from around a million 100 years ago, to 500,000 now. Of those that remain, only 8% are thought to be in good condition.

Launching the project last night, Alan Titchmarsh focused on the need for the conservation community to communicate with the public over not only the importance of ponds for wildlife, but also the joy to be had from engaging with nature. Well set-up and maintained ponds provide a fantastic habitat for freshwater organisms but also provide a unique area where children can learn about the natural environment.

Pond Conservation, a national charity dedicated to creating and protecting ponds, and other freshwaters, and the wildlife they support, is co-ordinating the project. Other organisations who are taking part, digging the ponds and providing advisors to assist those wishing to establish ponds on their land, are: Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England, Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and many others. In total, 11 major partners are involved. The Ministry of Justice and Defence Estates are key partners, wishing to establish ponds in prison grounds and on firing ranges.

Over the first five-years of the project, which is to run for 50 years in total, Pond Conservation hope to facilitate the establishment of 5,000 ponds, at a cost of £3million. Establishing and maintaining ponds is key for the survival of freshwater species: the IUCN has warned that freshwater biodiversity is extremely threatened, and there are more threatened species in ponds in Britain than in lakes or rivers.

New System Improves River Basin Health Assessment for Water Framework Directive

Scientists have recently developed a new computer modeling system that will improve the way in which river basins are assessed for the European Water Framework Directive.

The system has been named the Elbe decision support system, (Elbe-DSS), after the river it was initially developed for assessing, the River Elbe, one of the largest in Europe.

The system will specifically monitor the following elements of river catchment:

Simulation models, representing the effect of different inputs such as rainfall, nutrient levels, and climate changes

Databases including soil maps and rainfall records

Management actions such as reforestation or erosion control

External constraints such as demographic change or agriculture policy

Management objectives such as reduction of emissions, improvement of water quality, or reduction of nutrients into the sea

One of the strengths of this system is that it will help cross-border collaboration in tackling river management objectives. The system can be intelligently manipulated in order to assess the likely impacts of likely changes in variables affecting the catchment area, such as reforestation and increased/decreased fertiliser input.

Having tested theory against practice, it has proved to be reliable in predicting nutrient levels across the whole river basin. Because the system can be applied at various spatial scales, it means that approaches can be taken at specific locations across the modeled area in an efficient way. It also allows management actions to be ranked in importance according to modeled assumptions about future environmental and demographic changes.

The system is free and available from the German Federal Institute of Hydrology, (although the website is currently under construction and written in German).


This article is adapted from the Science Environment Policy Bulletin, Source: Lautenbach, S., Berlekamp, J., Graf, N. et al. (2009). Scenario analysis and management options for sustainable river basin management: Application of the Elbe DSS. Environmental Modelling and Software. 24(1): 26-43.

British Waterways Releases List of 'Dirty Dozen' Invasive Non-Native Species

British Waterways has today released a list of the 12 non-native species most likely to damage the country's canals, rivers and towpaths, harming native wildlife. The organisation is encouraging people to think about the impact on the environment before releasing these so-called "dirty dozen" into the environment.

British Waterways spends £1million each year controlling non-native invasive species across its infrastructure, monitoring the impact of these species with the help of its ecologists. Chris John, British Waterways' National Ecologist said: "Whilst not all non-native species are harmful, many pose real problems to our native wildlife, to boaters and to our historic channels, locks and bridges. With no natural predators to control them they can overwhelm wildlife, channels, banks and towpaths...We are therefore asking people to help us by disposing of non-native plants safely and carefully, selecting alternative plants for gardens, ponds and aquariums."

The twelve species are: Japanese Knotweed, Australian Swamp Stonecrop, Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam, Water Fern, Floating Pennywort, Chinese Mitten Crab, Red-Eared Terrapin, Mink, Zander, American Signal Crayfish and Zebra Mussels.

Access British Waterways' guidance for the public

Access the Inasive Non-Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain

Access POSTnote 303 by 2008 BES POST Fellow, Fay Collier, on Non-Native Invasive Species

"Future Water" - New Strategy for England

The Government has today published a new strategy for water management in England. "Future Water" aims to tackle the pollution of rivers, lakes and streams, alongside ensuring the sustainable use of England's water supply.

The strategy includes proposals on how to tackle surface water drainage and reduce water pollution by tackling contaminants at their source. The launch of the strategy is accompanied by the launch of consultations on both the reduction of phosphates in the water supply and on the management of surface water. The Government hopes that phosphates can be phased out of use in domestic laundry products by 2015.

Other aspects of the strategy include:

• Bringing water companies within the scope of the Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme. The water sector has committed to a 20% target for renewable energy by 2020 and is investigating ways to mitigate the non-carbon emissions produced during water processing.
• Plans to consult later this year on proposals to make the abstraction licensing system better able to cope with climate change, balancing the demand for essential water supplies with damage to aquatic ecosystems and wildlife. This will precede a National Policy Statement in 2009.