A lake full of life

Last week we started to prepare for more restoration work at Selbrigg Pond by trying to gauge the current fish populations.  The surveys were conducted by Econ Ecology with help from NRT, the pond’s owners Mr and Mrs Feilden and other interested on-lookers. We used a combination of electro-fishing and seine netting to record what species were present and in what numbers.  The pond had previously been surveyed in 1999 and will be surveyed again following the restoration work so we can keep an eye on how the fish populations develop.

The surveys were a huge success, and hundreds of fish were caught, identified, measured and released.  The vast majority of the fish were roach, with good numbers of perch and pike and a solitary rudd.  No tench or eels were caught but may well have been present in the mud or the reeds.
Norfolk Rivers Trust has recently worked with the owners and Waterways Conservation and Management to replace the crumbling pond wall and will soon begin the process of removing accumulated silt from the pond and restoring it to its original size.  The planning has been a balancing act, as although we want to fully restore the pond, we also need to preserve the valuable reed beds and surrounding fen and wet woodland.  Work will begin shortly and will be completed in phases over the next two years.