Surveying Ponds

Grimston pond photo by Helen Kramer 1/2

Burkmarr garden pond 2/2

Ponds are often much loved and enjoyed by local people especially in villages and small towns. However, over the past 50 years many of these small water bodies have disappeared at an alarming rate through infilling, drainage or neglect. It is more important than ever that we map the distribution and general health of those that remain so that appropriate management and maintenance measures can be put in place to preserve the wonderful wild creatures that live in and around them. Ponds can contain a surprising variety of native wildlife and surveying them can be great fun.

So, pull on your wellies and get prepared to enter the wonder world of wetland wildlife!

Why are ponds so special…?

In 1890 thre were approximately 1,250,000 ponds in Britain, today only around 400,000 remain. Over 65% of all Britain’s freshwater species live in ponds. This is more than live in lakes or rivers. Ponds therefore contain exceptional numbers of rare or threatened species – 82 Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species can be found in ponds.

Up until now many ponds have not had the protection they perhaps deserve, but in 2007 the UK Biodiversity Action Plan gave ponds ‘Priority Habitat’ status.

Please click here to read the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for Ponds.

To view Norfolk's Pond Habitat Action Plan please click here.

Aiming for a million…

The Million Ponds Project aims to create a countrywide network of new ponds. Ultimately the goal is to encourage individuals and community groups to help reverse a century of pond loss and ensure the UK has over one million countryside ponds one again.

A critical element of the project is that these new ponds will have clean water. This is important because most countryside ponds are now badly damaged by pollution, and evidence shows that pond wildlife is declining across the UK. Making new clean ponds is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect freshwater wildlife.

Find more information on the Million Ponds Project, please visit the Freshwater Habitats Trust website.

Watch out for aliens!

Invasive non-native plants and animals have serious impacts. They can reduce biodiversity, negatively impact upon the economy, increase the risk of flooding and even threaten our health! In response to the threats posed by these species, the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership launched their Norfolk Non-native Species Initiative to promote the eradication and control of invasive non-native species already established in the county, and to prevent the introduction of further species. For more information, visit their website at www.norfolkbiodiversity.org

A major hurdle for the Initiative to overcome is the lack of available information on the distribution of non-native species in Norfolk. This makes it difficult to develop meaningful management plans. If you suspect your ponds have been invaded by alien plant species but are uncertain of identification, take a photograph of the plant and send it to Norfolk Wildlife Trust at [email protected].

The first thing you need to do is to select a suitable area for your survey. Scrutiny of a 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map will help you determine the location of the ponds that can be surveyed. Using aerial photography, such as that available on the internet, will also aid with location of ponds in your selected area.

Once you have mapped all the target ponds in your survey area you should give each one a unique reference number to enable them to be clearly identified by surveyors and on the survey forms. Remember you will need to gain permission from the pond owner before surveying it.

Share the load

If your research indicates that there are a large number of ponds in your target area it will be advantageous to galvanise the local community into assisting with surveying. In these circumstances the following points may need to be considered:

Coordination: Appoint a coordinator who will distribute guidance, allocate tasks and log the results.

Publicity: Publicise your project in the parish magazine, place posters on local notice boards, shops and community areas.

Training: Consider running a training day for volunteers where the project can be explained, ideas exchanged and health and safety issues explored.

Landowners: Identify and contact landowners to obtain permission to undertake surveys and/or to ask whether they would be interested to participate directly.

Community Groups: Contact local groups such as walking/nature groups, scouts/guides and the Women’s Institute to recruit volunteers.

Safety first

It is very important that you take care around water. Follow these guidelines:

Always let somebody know where you are going and when you are expected back
Take a mobile phone with you
If children are taking part in the survey ensure they are supervised at all times
Never wade into ponds or lean too far over their edge
Always wear appropriate clothing especially stout footwear with a good tread
Always be aware of dangers when visiting farmland or industrial sites

Leptospirosis and Weil’s Disease

Beware of the risk of contracting Leptospirosis, known as Weil’s disease in humans, which is a bacterial infection which may be present in stagnant or still water. The bacteria enters through skin abrasions or via eyes, nose or mouth. Weil’s disease is a serious illness and must be swiftly diagnosed and treated. Some sensible precautions:

Cover all cuts and abrasions with waterproof plasters
Wash hands thoroughly after coming into contact with pond water or better still carry an alcohol-based cleaning gel with you to use in the field
If in doubt contact your doctor without delay

Download Pond Survey forms here.

Pond Survey Form (Survey Form T)

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Microsoft Word document

Please remember to send your completed survey forms to Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service (NBIS) – make your records count!

Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service
Environment Transport and Development
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 2SG

Email: [email protected]
Website: NBIS

Take a dip!

Freshwater Conservation Trust is very keen to encourage people to investigate their local ponds to discover what is living in them and thereby assess their general health. It has developed a simple survey form which can be completed on-line to provide a snapshot of the health of garden, school or village ponds. This information will be used to develop better guidance for location and construction of ponds to make them more suitable for wildlife.

Please visit Freshwater Conservation Trust where there is a great deal of useful information on pond dipping.

Don’t get in a whirl over whirligigs…

Need help identifying that mystery animal or plant?
Upload your photograph or email the photograph to [email protected].

Hop to it…

Would you like to learn more about amphibians, pond management or have a go at water plant identification? Check out our event section for further information of wildlife workshops for adults.