Biodiversity successes
Here are some recent case studies of how our plan has enhanced the range of species thriving in Yorkshire.
Tophill Low Nature Reserve, near Hull
Our Tophill Low Nature Reserve includes two reservoirs, serving the adjacent water treatment works. It's a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of the importance of the site for many bird species. We employ a full-time warden at this site and have enjoyed continual success through considered habitat management.
Recent successes include:
- working with local volunteers to strip 750 square metres of grassland and reseed it with wild flowers and a mixture of grasses favoured by moths and butterflies.
- introducing a land management programme to satisfy the needs of the reservoir engineer and the nature reserve.
creating various log piles and straw bales to create habitats for reptiles; a simple and effective way of providing homes for species such as the grass snake.
- exposing muddy reservior edges to attract wading birds
- relandscaping a number of spits and gravel islands for nesting
The reserve was named as the best large wetland site in the Conservation category of the British Trust for Ornithology's EDF Energy Business Bird Challenge 2010.
Tophill Low has developed a reputation as the haunt of some rare visitors, including the bittern, spotted crake and wood sandpiper. The location is also popular with several species of dragonfly and orchids grow wild in the unimproved grassland and woods.
For more about Tophill Low and to find out what you can see there now click here for our online guide to Tophill Low or to view our seasonal Tophill Low newsletter.
Red Kite Reintroduction
In partnership with Natural England, the RSPB and Harewood Estates, we have been working to reintroduce Red Kites into Yorkshire. Between 1999 and 2003, 69 young red kites were released and in 2008, 58 successfully breeding pairs produced a total of 115 young, bringing the total number of young known to have been raised in Yorkshire since the programme began to 430.
As the birds spread further away from the Harewood release site, the monitoring process becomes increasingly dependent on reports of sightings in new areas. Yorkshire Red Kites has a new website at
http://www.yorkshireredkites.net/where sightings of birds can be reported.
Ingbirchworth Dike, near Barnsley
Ingbirchworth Dike runs between Ingbirchworth Reservoir and Scout Dike Reservoir. We worked with the Environment Agency to increase the native brown trout population by fencing the dike. This has reduced erosion and improved the quality of the habitat.
A fish pass was installed in 2008 and the Environment Agency has now completed research which showed the fish are well-established and are using the pass to swim upstream.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) recovery
Working in partnership with Natural England as well as Moors for The Future and the RSPB, Yorkshire Water has successfully managed to restore or agree on the restoration of 99.9% of its SSSIs, equivalent to almost 12,000 hectares of some of the UK's most ecologically important land.
We've worked hard to restore some of our most loved and iconic Yorkshire landscapes such as moorland and blanket bog. Moorland restoration work has included grip blocking, molinia reversion (moving from grass monocultures to more diverse habitats), fencing and bracken control.
Wyming Brook, near Sheffield
We needed to find a way of transferring water between the Redmires reservoirs and Rivelin dam. Instead of laying pipes (costly to the customer and the environment) we worked with the Environment Agency, the Salmon & Trout Association, and other local stakeholders to bring flows back to Wyming Brook. The work was a huge success, with brown trout successfully introduced. Bullheads, which are a protected species, were also introduced and are playing an important part in boosting biodiversity as a key food species for predators. The bullheads came from the River Rivelin where a trial into flow releases has successfully contributed to a boost in bullhead numbers.
The Rivelin Dam, near Sheffield
We conducted trials to examine the effects on downstream habitats when different volumes of water were released from the reservoir. These trials are now complete, with valuable lessons learned on how we can use this to contribute positively to the health of Yorkshire's waterways. Changes to release regimes have created better conditions for brown trout spawning and provided a boost for bullhead populations.
